


Into Open Waters

by DancingKirby



Series: Difficulties-verse [4]
Category: Avatar: Legend of Korra
Genre: 1 for lulz, 4 people want to bang Eska, ADHD, Angst, Autism, Brain Damage, Childbirth, Drama, F/F, F/M, Humor, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Multi, Parenthood, Polyamory, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Pregnancy, Romance, and 1 for feels, and 2 for love, child oc, meme references, neurodivergent characters, sexual awakening
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-30
Updated: 2019-04-11
Packaged: 2019-10-19 12:30:04
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 23
Words: 90,759
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17601395
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DancingKirby/pseuds/DancingKirby
Summary: Sequel to Difficulties. Takes place 1 year after Book 4. When forced to flee their home with a small child in tow, Eska and Desna begin a journey of self-discovery.





	1. In Which Things Start Out Awkward and Only Get Worse

**Author's Note:**

> I've had this idea pretty much since the show ended, but it actually took me a reviewer on ff.net who was unsatisfied with the ending of Difficulties to give me the metaphorical kick in the pants to write it. This will be a dialogue-heavy story, and no big action scenes because I can't write those. I have ten chapters posted on ff.net at the moment, and a rough draft of an 11th one; I was hoping to hold out until I knew for certain that I was going to finish it, but decided that I've waited long enough. So far, I have a plan of 19 chapters of main story, plus a chapter or two of epilogue.
> 
> I may have to bump up the rating to E eventually; I'm not sure sure yet how explicit I'll make things later on.

"Korra?"

"Yeah?"

"We have a situation."

Korra and Asami had been packing Korra's things for the former's long-awaited permanent move to the latter's mansion. It was an arduous task, and one that really couldn't be made any easier by bending. (Korra knew because she had tried airbending her belongings into the boxes, which just made the mess worse.) Asami had left Air Temple Island to take the first load of boxes to her house, and Korra was just starting to think that she had been gone a long time when Ikki came to her to inform her that she was on the phone.

Korra paused to catch her breath from the mad dash to the phone, and then inquired, "What…kind of situation?"

"Your cousins decided to pay a visit."

"Desna and Eska?!" As if she had any other cousins that she knew of.

"Yep. I found them sitting outside the outer gate. They're on the porch now. They refused to go inside the house or even say why they're here until you get here."

Korra smacked her forehead. Moving day was stressful enough, but now she had her weird relatives to deal with. And she hadn't had a word from them since Harmonic Convergence.

"Okay…okay. I can do this. I'll have them get Oogi ready. Be there in a bit. Love you."

"Love you too. Oh, I almost forgot."

"Hm?"

"They have a kid with them."

\---------------------------------------------------------------------------

After a brief stop at the police station to ask Mako for backup (since one never knew with the twins, and she'd prefer not to have to use brute force if there was a problem), Korra punched in the code at Asami's gate and let the two of them in. Sure enough, her cousins hadn't budged; they were sitting on hastily-found and mismatched chairs like they owned the place, accompanied by two small suitcases and a travel bag.

And there was indeed a child…a girl of about three. The child looked supremely uncomfortable, and was holding on to Eska's hand for dear life. She had lighter skin than would be expected for a fully-blooded Water Tribe individual, but more importantly, she had very green eyes. It was almost as if someone had made an exact copy of Bolin's eyes and nose, then pasted them down onto Eska's fine-boned face. The eyes were slightly more almond-shaped, but that was about the only difference.

Hold on a minute. Did that mean that Bolin and Eska…Korra desperately tried to cancel that train of thought.

Mercifully, just then Mako distracted her by making a noise that was akin to a choking komodo rhino. The child started crying. Eska shot Mako a murderous look as she pulled the child onto her lap.

"All right, calm down…just calm down..." Mako muttered, presumably as much to himself as to the trio on the porch. He walked a short distance away and took several deep breaths.

When he got back, he said in a more even tone, "Asami, I will need to use your phone if you please, because Bolin is in big fu…" -he shot a glance at the kid-" _freaking_ trouble."

"Sure."

"Do we really need to involve him in this right now?" Korra asked. Maybe it hadn't been the best idea to bring Mako after all.

"He's going to find out sooner or later," was all Mako said. Korra would still have preferred to hold off, but Mako had known Bolin for longer than she had. She decided to let him have the final say against her better judgment.

Once Mako had entered the house, Korra turned to the twins and said "Eska. Desna."

"Cousin," they answered in unison. Eska added, "This is Kinalik," gesturing to the child.

"Um…hi," Korra said, not having much experience with small children. Kinalik hid her face in Eska's coat.

Eska abruptly announced, "She requires the toilet." How Eska knew that was a mystery to Korra.

"O-of course," Asami replied. "Just go up the flight of stairs next to the foyer, and you should see it."

Eska lifted Kinalik into her arms and slouched off without thanking Asami. Korra shot her girlfriend a look of sympathy.

"So are you going to tell us why you're here now?" Korra said as she turned to Desna.

"We thought it would be safer to leave home for the time being, until things blew over," he replied. Korra waited for him to elaborate on these "things," but he didn't.

"Well…we have plenty of room!" Asami told him, trying to smile and be a gracious hostess even under these trying circumstances.

"We will only need one bedroom," Desna said. At the couple's strange looks, he went on, "I sleep in the tub, didn't you know?"

It was impossible for Korra to tell whether he was being serious or not.

Having run out of things to say, the trio hung around awkwardly until Mako returned, followed shortly by Eska and Kinalik.

"Bolin will be here soon. You and him can work things out then," he said, addressing Eska. "Meanwhile, it looks like the situation is stable, so my job here is done."

As Mako walked back to his car, Eska said something under her breath that sounded suspiciously like, "But you didn't do anything."

"Not the most impressive police officer I have ever seen," Desna added in a more audible tone. Korra bit back a retort. As if he had much to compare to!

\---------------------------------------------------------------------------

There was nothing left to do but bide their time until Bolin got here. Korra took that time to observe. Something seemed…off about Kinalik. She hadn't said anything this entire time, and was now rocking back and forth rather vigorously. Eska had no reaction.

"Is she upset? Is there anything we could bring her?" Asami asked.

"She is fine," Eska replied.

"Are you sure? I still have my old toys stored up somewhere; I could try to find them."

"We all have our difficulties," was the only thing Eska said in response.

But Eska wasn't neglectful, either. Although she didn't show the traditional displays of affection one would expect from a mother, she kept a close eye on Kinalik. At one point, Kinalik made a fist with her thumb sticking out, and Eska made an identical gesture and touched their thumbs together.

"Thumb kiss," she explained when she saw Korra and Asami staring at her.

After a while, Asami rang for some lemonade and refreshments to be brought out. Kinalik grabbed at a dumpling and took a bite, but she immediately spat the bite back out.

"It's yucky!" she proclaimed at the top of her lungs. So she _could_ talk.

Rather than reprimand her daughter for rudeness, Eska said, "Here, transfer it to me," and ate it herself, spat-out bite and all. From the look on her face, it was clear that she shared Kinalik's opinion, but at least she didn't verbalize it.

They also ignored Asami's hint that they might be more comfortable inside the house. Although Eska had removed Kinalik's coat, she and Desna refused to take off their own despite visibly sweating. It was as if they were trying to insulate themselves from the "peasants."

"Aren't you uncomfortable?" Asami asked.

"We _like_ being uncomfortable," Eska shot back. Korra and Asami glanced at each other and decided to drop the matter. If they wanted to die of heatstroke, that was their problem.

Finally, they could just see someone approaching in the distance, so Korra went to meet Bolin at the archway. Like all of their circle of friends, he knew the gate code. _Please don't let him have brought Opal_ , she thought.

She shouted out a greeting, and felt a great relief that he had come alone.

"Korra, what's going on?" he said. He was somewhat pale, and appeared to be on the edge of hyperventilating.

"Um…what exactly did Mako tell you?"

"Just that Eska was at Asami's house, and I should get my ass over there right now…and that oh yeah, I'm a dad now."

"I'd say that about covers it. Did you tell anything to Opal?"

"Didn't have a chance to. She was out shopping somewhere…I think the bookstore?"

Then something appeared to occur to him.

"How do I even know it's…"

"Trust me. You'll know."

Bolin continued to look uneasy.

"She's not going to hurt you," Korra assured him with slightly more conviction than she felt. To tell the truth, she didn't have a good memory of what had happened between those two in the South, having been preoccupied with her own concerns at the time. There was something about a wedding, she knew that.

"I guess the last time we met she didn't try to kill me, but still…" Bolin trailed off.

"Look, if she tries anything now, I'll be here to protect you, okay?"

"Okay…I guess." At least his breathing had evened out.

And off they went.

\---------------------------------------------------------------------------

Kinalik's resemblance to Bolin was of course immediately obvious to anybody who could see, which did away with any traces of doubt lingering in Bolin's mind. His legs went out from under him, and he sat down heavily on the porch floor. There was complete silence for several seconds. Desna was pointedly looking away.

"Why didn't…why didn't you tell me?" Bolin squeaked once he found his voice and struggled to his feet.

"There wasn't exactly an opportune moment," Eska deadpanned.

"But we met in the hotel lobby just a year ago! Why didn't you tell me then?"

"By the time that foolish employee stopped bothering us, you were far enough away that I would have had to shout it across the room. And anyway…" Eska looked down and appeared uncharacteristically shy, "I assumed that you would have interpreted the news as another attempt to control you and become irate."

"What's irate mean?"

"Angry."

"I wouldn't have been angry! I mean, yeah, I was really scared of you, and to be honest I still am, but I like kids. In fact, me and Opal were just talking about…" His torrent of words abruptly ceased as he realized what he'd just said.

"Oops," he mumbled. Eska raised her eyebrows.

"I was already cognizant of you having another girlfriend, feeble turtleduck. Remember? Although she is not apparently who I thought she was." She tapped her finger on her chin and added, "Opal…I have heard that name before. Oh yes, she was the one on whom I hung up the phone."

"Okaaayyy…"

Korra wasn't sure whether Bolin was more perplexed at Eska's train of thought or her syntax. She cleared her throat.

"I think some introductions might be in hand," she prompted. Eska took the hint.

"Indeed. Kinalik, this is Bolin. Bolin…Kinalik."

"Hey there!" Bolin said as he beamed and reached for the child as if to pick her up. Kinalik screeched and hid her face in Eska's coat again.

"Don't _lunge_ at her like that! She's very sensitive!" Eska scolded.

"Sorry…sorry," Bolin mumbled as he backed off a few paces.

"She might not have much understanding of what a man actually is," Desna opined; Korra had almost forgotten that he was there. "She decided that Eska and I were both her mothers, and we saw no need to correct her just yet."

"Agreed. And her nurse is female, her nurse's assistants are all female, and her grandfather is deceased. We had intended to introduce her to the concept at a later date, but…we were forced into circumstances that were less than ideal."

Like Desna, Eska did not say exactly what these circumstances were.

"I have an idea!" Asami stated. "How about we wrap things up for today and try again tomorrow, once Bolin has a chance to process this and…um…how do you pronounce her name again?"

"Kee-nah-leek."

"Right, once Kinalik has a chance to get rested and used to the change of scenery."

"That appears to be an adequate plan."

"Right," Bolin chimed in. "And I have to…tell Opal, I guess, somehow. How am I going to do that? What if she thinks I was cheating on her?"

"What date did you meet her?"

Bolin was able to tell her approximately, if not the exact date.

"I brought a copy of Kinalik's birth certificate. I presume that your Opal knows enough about mathematics to calculate that Kinalik was conceived about two months prior to that date. Should I go locate its whereabouts?"

"No, no, we can save that for later. Because you all look really tired and, uh, Opal will be wondering where I ran off to. And I have to talk to Mako as well. Fun fun fun. So bye."

He turned and ran down the steps like someone was firebending his rear end.

"His fear is always amusing," Eska remarked.

\---------------------------------------------------------------------------

After that, the twins were at last convinced to move into the house. Asami took them on a tour, and arranged for the best guest room to be made up for them…with an en suite full bathroom on the off chance that Desna actually did sleep there.

"It will do," Eska said.

By then, it was too late for Korra to haul the rest of her stuff over, so she would spend the night.

Dinner was just as uncomfortable as the day's other events had been. Kinalik revealed herself to be an extremely picky eater, and turned her nose up at anything except for a bowl of plain noodles. The twins did eat the regular meal of chicken and vegetable stir fry with rice, but Eska in particular picked at her food and actually consumed hardly anything.

Asami tried her hardest to include them in various conversation topics, including the plans for Korra's upcoming move-in party, the weather (unusually warm for so early in the spring), and even pro-bending (which was widely thought to never have been the same after Amon's invasion). But Eska and Desna mostly kept to monosyllabic answers, and excused themselves at the first possible opportunity.

It broke Korra's heart to see her girlfriend looking progressively more crestfallen as the evening went on. She wanted to assure Asami that they were always like this, but that wasn't the case. As dour as the twins were, they usually at least said "please" and "thank you" when needed.

After dinner, Asami put on her ugly pajamas, which was code for "No sex tonight," and went almost directly to bed.

Enough was enough. It was time for Korra to give Eska and Desna a piece of her mind, cousins or not, chieftains or not.

When she knocked on the guest bedroom door, she heard Kinalik start to fuss inside.

Eska opened the door and frowned at Korra.

"We _just_ got her to sleep," she informed her cousin.

"Sorry about that," Korra answered. "But we need to talk."

Eska sighed, and said, "Fine. But let us at least do so some distance away."

Once they had reached the end the corridor, Korra faced her cousin straight on.

"Listen. This rudeness towards Asami needs to stop right now. She is doing everything she can to make you comfortable-despite you showing up with no notice whatsoever after so long with no contact-and you have not so much as thanked her even once. Don't take whatever grudges you might have against me out on her. Are we clear about this?"

Eska rocked back on her heels and looked genuinely caught off-guard for the first time that Korra had seen.

"If you had to endure what we have had to endure over the past thirty hours, then you would be more empathetic," she all but growled.

"I dunno; I've had to _endure_ a lot! And if you dislike me so strongly, then why didn't you stay at a hotel?"

"We have our reasons," Eska intoned.

"Well, how do you expect me to help you if you won't even tell me why you're here?"

"You wouldn't understand. You have never expelled a human being from your nether regions. Unless _that_ was why you went back South."

Now it was Korra's turn to be caught off-guard.

"You _absolute_ …" No, Korra thought. She would not let Eska reduce her to name-calling. "That was not the reason and you know it."

"Well, at any rate, until you've feared for your child's life, then maybe you should keep your oral orifice tightly SECURED!"

She turned and stomped back to her room.

"Eska, wait…what? What are you talking about?"

Eska paused at the door and said, "I was going to inform you tomorrow. But perhaps now I don't feel like it." She opened the door wide as if to slam it, but remembered about Kinalik and caught herself just in time.


	2. In Which Bolin Plays With Toys and Eska Fails at Flirting

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I made a lot of progress on Chapter 12 today, so I decided to reward myself by posting another chapter here.

"How dare she? _How dare she_?"

Eska paced around the room, trying her hardest to keep her voice low so as not to disturb Kinalik. The stress of the previous sleepless night, their escape in the wee hours, the sheer physical effort required to waterbend all the way to Republic City with a toddler and luggage in tow, the energy required to interact with people in a strange place…all of it was consuming her.

She collapsed in a chair, her body shaking and angry tears streaming down her face, which made her feel all the worse…like she was no more mature than her daughter.

Did their courtiers think that the twins did not know of the snickers and whispers of "half breed?" And yesterday…they had all looked at Kinalik like she was a _monster_. Eska and Desna felt that their only option was to get her out of there; better safe than sorry.

"I was trying to explain, but she wouldn't _listen_!" she moaned to her brother.

"Perhaps she felt the same about you," Desna offered cautiously.

"Perhaps," Eska muttered, making an enormous effort to control her crying. "I have no harsh feelings towards our cousin's significant other; she is not nearly as uncouth as the others. I was just…trying so hard not to cry in front of them that I forgot to thank her. People only seem to care about what I do _incorrectly_ ; not what I do the appropriate way. Yes, I know you are an exception, brother," she hastily added to ward off his protests. She furiously scrubbed the tears away.

"I recommend that we go to sleep and ponder the matter further in the morning," Desna said.

"Yes…that would probably be wise."

Eska was worried that she'd have problems falling asleep like she often did in locations that weren't home. However, the rhythm of Kinalik's breathing soothed her, and the trio was soon huddled together in a deep slumber.

\---------------------------------------------------------------------------

When Eska woke up who-knows-how-late in the morning, her back was throbbing in pain. She supposed it was to be expected with all the exercise and lifting that she did yesterday. Even attempting to roll over caused her to moan. Thankfully, Desna had already awoken, and was ready with the bowl of water. He and Eska silently healed each other, then Eska healed Kinalik as well, who was uninjured but wanted to do what the grownups were doing. It didn't get rid of all the pain, but reduced it enough to allow her to perform the usual morning functions and help Kinalik with hers.

Once they got downstairs to the breakfast room, they found Korra sitting there alone. She had finished her own meal, but there was still a pot of tea and a plate of steamed buns filled with bean paste on the table. Eska was impressed to see that they'd remembered about Kinalik's noodles, and that the child's chair had a pile of cushions on it to add height.

"Asami's in the shower," Korra said in response to their unspoken query. "She likes to fiddle around in her workshop first thing in the morning when she's feeling upset."

Even Eska could tell that the last few words were pointed. "Hm," was all she could trust herself to say in response as she grabbed a bun.

"Does she eat anything else?" Korra asked, referring to Kinalik. That was a somewhat safer topic, at least.

"Rice. Eggs. Apples peeled and cut to slices exactly ¼ inch thick. Arctic hen. Some types of fish; she seems to change her mind about exactly which types by the day," Eska answered. She stopped to think. What else _was_ there?

"We have been having modest success in getting her to eat kelp," Desna reminded.

"Oh yes. The first time she ate that was a triumphant occasion indeed. And before you ask, cousin, we do give her a daily multivitamin."

"I wasn't going to ask," Korra said quickly. She took a sip of her tea and said, "I wonder if she'd like Narook's? They have a kid's menu."

"Is it noisy?"

"Dinner can be…lunch is usually quieter."

"We will consider it."

They were spared from doing further chatting for the moment by Asami entering the room, fully dressed but with a towel wrapped around her head. Korra looked at Eska expectantly.

Eska supposed that this was her cue to apologize. Damn it. She'd never cared about the feelings of anyone outside of her family before.

"I'msorry," she mumbled while looking down at her hands. This seemed to satisfy the requirements for the time being.

"It's okay," Asami said. "I know you must have been under a lot of stress. Now, is this enough food for you? We could have the cook make something hot…"

"This is sufficient," Desna assured her.

Asami sat down as well and got her own breakfast, and apparently decided that it would be best to get right to the point.

"So…Korra said that you were concerned about Kinalik's safety…"

"That is one way to phrase it."

"So exactly how deep into hiding did you want to go?"

Good question.

"We hadn't thought things through that far yet," Desna admitted. "All we were hoping for was to buy a few days of time to strategize. That was why we chose not to stay at a hotel."

"Simply arriving at this destination was the main objective. They will discover our location sooner or later, but I doubt that they would take our lives here. Nevertheless, we should take precautions," Eska added.

Korra and Asami stopped to think, and then Korra said, "Well, you do have one thing going for you. You're fairly obscure. Probably all that most people in Republic City know about you is that you're those creepy twins."

Eska clenched her jaw, and willed the angry words ready to spring from her back down her throat. She didn't want another argument to start so quickly. Desna appeared to be having a similar struggle, but was able to state in an even tone, "We do like our privacy."

While they had been talking, Kinalik had finished her noodles and was getting bored.

"Down!" she commanded. Eska rose to help her off the cushions, and sat back down with her daughter in her lap.

"And that's another thing," Asami said. "I wasn't even aware of Kinalik's existence until yesterday, and I don't think Korra was either."

"They may have mailed something," Korra said. "But I was kind of distracted at the time."

"We did air a birth announcement on the radio," Eska remarked. Granted, it had run only once. At 6 AM. Neither the twins nor their advisors had wanted to call much attention to it.

"Well, anyway, if all that the general public knows about you is that you're twins, we'd want to make you look as unalike as possible. Plus, the weather's much too warm right now for your regular wardrobes. We'll need to shop for new clothes, and one of you might have to cut your hair."

Asami looked over at Desna, but Eska quickly said, "I'll do it." Desna had done so much for her; it was only fair that she should be the one to make this sacrifice. However, she did have the ulterior motive of wanting to see whether this city was less boring than the South. They had gone straight to the hotel for the coronation, and straight home.

"I have to go get the rest of my stuff this morning, but…hold on, let me write this down," Korra said." She retrieved a notebook and pencil from a side table.

"Asami, could you take them downtown this afternoon? I'll probably want to rest, and you're the one with the style sense."

"Sure, but maybe one at a time? Whoever is after them would be looking for twins."

"No prob. Desna, you okay with waiting until tomorrow?"

"Whatever you think is best," Desna answered, albeit evidently with some unease about them being separated. The twins squeezed hands under the table.

"Bolin might want to join us," Asami remarked. "You know how he is about makeovers."

"Oh, yeah, whoops, I forgot about Bolin. And we were going to do a proper introduction today."

"I wonder…" Asami trailed off as Korra scribbled away.

"Hm?"

"I was just thinking about how to make all this more pleasant for Kinalik. I think I have an idea. You go over to Air Temple Island. I can take care of arranging things."

"'Kay, love you."

They kissed. Eska was relieved. All of the talking had been making her dizzy.

\---------------------------------------------------------------------------

After Korra had finally departed, Asami got Eska, Desna, and Kinalik situated in the living room. Unlike the more formal parlor they'd seen on the tour yesterday, this room was stocked with comfortable furniture, which was a blessing for Eska's back. It was decorated with plush carpeting, wooden paneling, several paintings, and a tall bookcase in the corner. Eska made a beeline for the latter and thumbed through the selection.

While Eska was busy with her browsing, Asami used one of the mansion's many phones to call Bolin.

"So what do you think about coming over here shortly? Makeovers may be involved."

Eska could hear Bolin's shriek of joy from clear across the room. Asami had to hold the receiver at arm's length until he calmed down.

"I take it that's a yes? Okay, what time? Yeah, I think we can do that. So see you…oh? What is it?"

She listened for a few seconds, then said, "Well, I'll ask them," and covered the receiver with her hand.

"Eska, Desna, Bolin says that Opal wants to come meet you. Is that okay?"

Eska was intrigued in spite of herself. She wanted to see just what sort of powerful woman had managed to ensnare her ex's heart.

"It is all right with me. Desna?"

"Me as well."

"Great!" exclaimed Asami. She turned back to the receiver and said, "That's a yes from both of them. See you in a few, then? All right. No, Pabu had better stay at your apartment this time. Bye."

She hung up the phone, and then left the room, saying vaguely that she had to "get things ready."

Eska, in the meantime, had found several recent issues of Republic City Style. She had first encountered this publication in the storage room of the library back home, and knew that it was trash, but had been unable to stop reading these chronicles of uncivilized famous people and their clothing. And it definitely _wasn't_ because she was jealous of them and their hedonistic lives! No, if ever asked, she would claim that it was simply anthropological studies.

"All right, let's see who Ginger is dating now," she murmured as she sat down to look at the pictures with Kinalik.

"May I have one?" Desna asked.

"You may."

They were deeply engrossed in their reading material, with occasional snorts of incredulity from the twins and squeals of "Pretty!" from Kinalik, when they heard something being hauled down the stairs and dragged into the living room.

"I found one of those boxes of t-o-y-s that I was telling you about yesterday!" Asami said as she beamed. She had removed her towel, and looked no worse for wear from the exertion. Eska wished that she could look that put-together.

"So I was thinking that Bolin could help Kinalik look through these, and that maybe she would warm up to him more if she associated him with a positive thing like that."

Kinalik perked up at the mention of her name. Eska thought that this was truly a clever idea, and wished that she had come up with that herself.

"Shall we see what is contained in here?" Eska asked Kinalik. Her daughter didn't answer verbally, but appeared happy for the first time since they'd left the palace.

As Asami left to get some scissors with which to open the box, the doorbell rang. The door was opened shortly thereafter, presumably by the butler…what was his name again?

"We have arrived!" Bolin announced as he bounded into the living room, followed closely behind by Opal. "And…hey neat, what's that?" He gestured at the box.

Asami explained her idea to him as Kinalik removed the first item from the box: a stuffed animal in the form of a cat-owl.

"Great, sounds great!" Bolin enthused as made to sit down right next to Kinalik, then caught himself in time and picked a spot a respectful couple of feet away.

Asami had certainly never been lacking in any amusement as a child; Eska felt a twinge when she remembered how her own toys had been taken away when she wasn't too much older than Kinalik. There were stuffed animals of all sorts (yes, including a turtleduck and a koala otter), dolls, and Satomobile models. Thankfully, nothing was in that box that would pose a choking hazard; Eska presumed that Kinalik was smart enough not to put toys in her mouth, but one never knew for sure.

Kinalik was insistent on doing the unpacking herself, and kept most of the toys to herself, but every so often she would shyly offer one to Bolin.

"Thank you!" he exclaimed at her latest offering of a stuffed animal that was so worn that Eska couldn't even tell what it was supposed to be. "Do you wanna know something, Kinalik? I don't remember what toys I had when I was your age. I wish I did. So this is really as exciting for me as it is for you!"

Kinalik scrunched her nose, and either because she didn't know how to respond or didn't have the words, settled for "Okay." But she did hand over a toy truck to him.

"Oh, she's just adorable!" said Opal, which slightly startled Eska because she'd been so focused on the scene across the room. She was seated at the opposite end of the couch from the twins.

"Yes," Eska answered. She and Desna switched places so that there would be no one between Eska and Opal. Then she remembered.

"I have on my possession a copy of Kinalik's birth certificate," Eska stated as she took the piece of paper out of her pocket. "It contains proof that Bolin was not being unfaithful to you. Not with me, at least."

Opal didn't move to take it.

"It's okay, I believe you. Really," she said.

It was just that easy? Eska had been anticipating a more frosty reception. Opal was surprisingly unassuming, and actually appeared to…like her?

"So what do you think? Can we be friends?" Opal asked as she smiled gently. She extended her hand, and Eska forced herself to make eye contact while tentatively reaching her arm out as well. But she only had the nerve to brush Opal's fingers with her own.

Just then, there was much excitement from the duo on the floor. Having removed all of the toys from the box, they had reached the best part…the packing paper. Kinalik reached for a particularly large piece and gleefully ripped it in half.

"That makes a cool sound, doesn't it?" Bolin observed.

Kinalik studied the two halves in her hand, and then crumpled one up, walked over, and reached up to place it on Bolin's head.

"Oh wow! A hat! Just what I always wanted!" Bolin said with all evidence of sincerity. He tossed his head ever so slightly, and the paper fell to the floor.

"OOPS! It fell off! How clumsy of me!"

Kinalik looked at him, then at the paper, then back at him. And she _laughed_.

This was something that even Eska herself rarely elicited from her daughter. She wished that she could telepathically transmit to Bolin the significance of this event. But as he glanced over it her, it seemed that he already knew to some extent.

Shortly thereafter, Korra returned, and while the servants transferred her things, Asami herded them all into the main dining room for lunch. Korra must have informed her partner of Kinalik's preferences, because the meal was omelets…plain for Kinalik and with vegetables for everyone else. Kinalik ate most of hers, and even sampled a piece of mushroom from Eska's plate without spitting it back out.

When that was concluded, Desna put Kinalik down for a nap while Eska ventured out into the great unknown.

\---------------------------------------------------------------------------

For what seemed like the millionth time, Eska felt the ends of her now shoulder-length hair. It felt exceedingly strange to not have it hanging halfway down her back.

Also, the hairdresser had insisted on using hair clips to pin her bangs back.

"You have such a perfectly-proportioned forehead!" the older woman had gushed. "And such delicate eyebrows. Why would you ever want to cover that up?"

At least it might work as a disguise. And Asami and Opal had wholeheartedly agreed with the stylist. They had tried to get Bolin's opinion as well, but he held up his pointer finger for silence.

"Please don't disturb me. I have reached the Manicure Spirit World," he stated in an exaggerated whisper.

When Bolin had finally descended back down to Earth, they went clothes-shopping. First they got some everyday items. Eska was rather embarrassed that she had to wear clothing from the Juniors section due to her petite frame, but she managed to tolerate the shopping long enough to attain several new outfits. The store had a changing room in case one wanted to wear an outfit out of the store, so Eska had changed her regular tunic and leggings for a sky-blue shirt with cap sleeves, white pants that fell just below the knee, and white sandals. It was odd to have so much of her skin exposed in public, but it was amusing to imagine how the dreaded councilors back home would react. They had also purchased a few new outfits for Kinalik, since green eyes in Water Tribe blue would raise questions.

She was taken aback when she realized that she would have to help carry her own belongings for the first time in her life, but decided not to argue.

Then Asami had remembered about Korra's party, to which Eska hadn't realized that she was invited, so they went to a more upscale boutique that specialized in Water Tribe inspired designs to find a dress. Naturally, the one that caught Eska's eye was too large for her, so she would have to come back later for fitting.

By the time _that_ was over, all of them were loaded with shopping bags and getting tired, and Eska's back was acting up again. She still didn't understand why some girls and women did this for _fun_. Also, she noticed that Bolin had a slight limp, which became more pronounced as the day went on. She was certain that this had not been there when she knew him before, but no one else was commenting on it, so she kept her silence.

"There's a bubble tea shop just down the street. Let's stop there," Asami suggested.

Eska was about to inquire what bubble tea was, but her thoughts slammed on the brakes as a horrific sound rose from the corner next to the tea shop.

"What. Is. That?" she demanded as she jammed her fingers inside her ears.

"That's a trombone," Opal answered. She and Asami rolled their eyes at Bolin, who was edging nervously closer toward the tea shop door.

Even leading such a sheltered life, Eska had heard of street musicians. But she had been under the impression that most did it for money. There was no tip box beside this man's feet, so either he was just doing it for fun or wanted to cause all pedestrians an agonizing death. Probably the latter, she thought.

"I am going to ambulate over there right now and inform that man that he must cease and desist immediately," she declared.

"Maybe…just going inside would be a better idea?" Bolin offered. "Come on quick, before he sees us!"

Bolin dashed inside, and the three women had no choice but to follow, Opal and Asami both making noises of disapproval.

They got their orders and sat down. Eska had assumed that the bubbles would be some form of carbonation, but they were in fact solid spheres. She guessed that it was not called "sphere tea" because it didn't roll off the tongue as easily. In any case, the spheres had a pleasantly chewy texture.

Meanwhile, Asami was still scolding Bolin.

"He's a much better person now and you know it!" she said.

"He still scares me!"

"Well, I invited him to the party, so get used to him."

"You what? Oh frick…here he comes."

The door abruptly swung open as if accompanied by a musical cue, and Trombone Man walked in like he owned the place. To Eska's relief, he had put away that torture device for the present. Wait…why was he making a beeline to their table?

"Hi, Tahno!" Asami said cheerfully as Opal waved. The latter elbowed Bolin, who squeaked out a "Hi!"

The name rang a bell. Eska tried to recall where she'd encountered it.

"Now who is this lady here?" Tahno the Trombone Man asked. "I don't believe that I've seen you here with the Uh-vatar's crowd before."

Eska assumed that he was referring to Opal. But after several seconds, she realized that he was looking at _her_. Just in time, she remembered how she knew of him.

"I saw you in the magazines," she said. "Except then you weren't there anymore. And then you were, but not quite as often."

"Guilty as charged."

Was he making fun of her?

Eska rose from her seat and affixed her best glare.

"Your subpar pronounciation irritates my auditory receptacles. As does your so-called musical talent."

The look she was giving him would have sent a whole room full of courtiers fleeing. But Trombone Man just laughed.

"Oh, did I offend you, _Ice Queen_?"

_Did he know_? At any rate, Eska realized that he towered over her by at least a foot, despite her drawing herself up to as full a height as her back would allow. This would not do. The power imbalance made her uneasy.

"If I am the Ice Queen, then you are my subject. I demand that you swear fealty to me by kneeling."

She heard three sharp intakes of breath. But kneel Tahno did, after only a brief pause. He kept his eyes and his smirk on Eska. Eska remained outwardly composed (at least she hoped so), but her heart was starting to pound…from anxiety or from something else?

"Of course…you do know what this means, Ice Queen? Now I must kiss your hand."

Eska barely had time to process the words before Bolin leapt in between them.

" _O-kaaaayyy_!" he exclaimed louder than he had to. "I know we're all having a wonderful time here, and it was great seeing you again, but look at the clock! We really have to be going now, so bye and see you at the party, I guess!"

He herded the trio of women out the door, drinks, bags, and all. Eska didn't know whether she wanted to thank him or throttle him.

"That was interesting," Eska mused as they walked back to the Satomobile. "However, I doubt he would show the submission required to be my husband."

Bolin choked on his last sip of tea.

"Mental images, Eska! Mental! Images!" he gasped out.

At least he was starting to show his true self around her.


	3. In Which Bolin Tries Adulting

As soon as their apartment door was closed behind them, Opal turned to face Bolin.

"Are you going to tell me what happened between you and Eska?" she asked. "Besides the obvious. I didn't want to press you last night because you were already so distraught, but I…I feel like I need to know."

Bolin gulped and snuck a look at her face. She didn't look angry, only confused.

"Yeah…" he began, and winced at how hoarse his voice sounded. He cleared his throat and tried again.

"Yeah, I mean, you _should_ know. Let me just…oof! Pabu!"

The fire ferret had jumped onto his shoulders, and voiced his displeasure that his dinner was late.

"Okay, I guess I have to feed him first."

After Pabu was chomping away, Bolin and Opal sat on the couch.

"So…uh…where to begin? You know about the general stuff that went down at Harmonic Convergence, right?"

Opal nodded.

"And how much did you know about Eska before this?"

"Well…I knew _of_ her. And Mako hinted once that something unpleasant had happened between you two."

"He did?"

"M-hm. He didn't go into details, though."

That was a surprise to Bolin. Mako had always treated the whole situation with amusement at best and disdain at worst. Pabu, now satiated, jumped into his lap, and Bolin began to stroke him absentmindedly. He was glad to have something to do with his hands to alleviate the nervous energy.

"Well, we met at the Glacier Spirit Festival," he began. "I was the one to talk to her first. Things were a bit rough that night, but then they were better the next day, so I thought hey, this might actually work out. Then I hugged Korra and Eska…kind of flipped out."

He paused as he decided how to phrase the next part.

"So…I kept trying to break things off with her, which didn't work; she kept threatening to feed me to the dolphin piranhas before I could say anything. And Korra and Asami and Mako…they weren't any help."

He looked at Opal to see if she was following the story. She motioned for him to continue.

"And then I _did_ work up the courage to say something, but I must have gone wrong somewhere, because the next thing I knew, she was trying to _marry_ me! And that's when…well…you know…" He figured that his face was approximately the color of a radish.

"I see," Opal said. Having no Pabu to occupy her, she picked at a thumbnail.

All right. It was now or never.

"Is it normal for there to be blood?" he asked in a rush before he lost the nerve.

Opal blinked.

"Are we talking about yours or…hers?" she asked.

"Uh…hers. I was going to ask Mako about it, but then I never found the right moment to ask and I was afraid he'd laugh at me, so I thought I was terrible at sex, but then it didn't happen with you and…" He had to stop here to gasp for air.

Opal gave a nervous giggle.

"It's okay, you can calm down!" she said. She thought for a few seconds.

"She was probably a virgin," she said at last. "In the old days, when a high-born girl would get married, they'd show everyone the bedsheets the next day to prove that the husband hadn't been cheated. For all I know, they still do that in the Northern Water Tribe."

" _Eeew _! Why would anyone want to see _that_?"__

__"No idea. It is pretty stupid."_ _

__"Then… you said it was your first time, right? Why didn't you..?"_ _

__"I've heard that it usually doesn't happen if you do a bit of preparation," Opal told him. "We used lube, remember? And I'd…already experimented a bit before." Now it was her turn to blush. At least she looked cute when doing it._ _

__"Oh."_ _

__"Yeah. Was there anything else you wanted to add?"_ _

__"Um…I got away before she married me, of course. Then I was really angry and kind of a jerk for a while, but then we met again at Harmonic Convergence, and when that was over I asked if she wanted to move to Republic City with me, and she said no. And then the only other time I saw her was at the coronation, and she said nothing about a kid then."_ _

__"Wow. What a terrible thing to go through. Why didn't you tell me this before?" Opal inquired._ _

__"I guess I kind of thought it was in the past."_ _

__"You poor thing. You poor _things_ , really. It's weird…Eska kind of reminds me of Huan."_ _

__"Your brother?"_ _

__Opal shot him a Look._ _

__"Bolin. Do you know of any other Huans? Yes, my brother. He was always…different, and someone always had to keep an eye on him. I guess he was lucky that he grew up in a place like Zaofu. Still …he gets overwhelmed easily. When he gets like that, he shuts down, and can even lash out if it gets really bad. And sometimes, he simply doesn't understand things that seem obvious to the rest of us."_ _

__"You think Eska's like that?" Bolin asked as he scratched his head. Eska had almost always seemed to be in perfect control of her emotions. Except for that one instant of shock and pain in her eyes before she recomposed her expression; that was seared in Bolin's memory forever. And the time on the boat, but he didn't like to think about the time on the boat._ _

__"To be honest, you were likely easy for her to control. You saw her with Tahno. I truly don't think that he meant any harm, but she was in over her head and she knew it."_ _

__"Don't worry. She's perfectly capable of defending herself. I know firsthand."_ _

__"Well, physically, of course…what about emotionally?" Opal mused._ _

__"I dunno."_ _

__After that, they ran out of things to say, so they spent the rest of the evening cuddling, eating takeout, and listening to the radio. It wasn't really a sexy kind of night after that discussion._ _

____

\---------------------------------------------------------------------------

The next morning, they were abruptly jerked out of sleep by the phone ringing.

"I'll get it…" Bolin sighed as Opal snapped on the light. He stumbled over to the kitchen and slammed his hand on the light switch there. Pabu followed close behind, because if the humans were awake, that must mean it was breakfast time.

"Hello? Whozis?" he mumbled as he rubbed the sleep out of his eyes.

"We require your assistance."

" _Eska_? What are you doing calling so early in the morning? It's…" -he glanced at the wall clock- "5:30! We were still sleeping."

"You may attempt to convey that information to Kinalik, but I doubt you would succeed," Eska remarked drily. "She awoke at four, and has been running all over the house asking 'Where's Bolin? Where's Bolin?' Attempts to return her to her somnolent state have been futile."

As usual, Bolin wasn't sure he understood all her words, yet he thought he got the general idea.

"Well…uh…not much I can do now…YES, Pabu, I see you…maybe later in the morning? Wait, hold on a minute…who gave you this number in the first place?"

"Korra. She and her partner seemed greatly displeased about Kinalik's intrusion into their bedchamber."

"I see. Pabu, I swear…look, I have to go now. Call you back later?"

"I suppose."

"'Kay, bye."

He hung up the phone, dumped what he thought was a reasonable amount of food into Pabu's dish, and went back to bed.

A few hours later, the two of them feeling somewhat more refreshed, Opal went off to Air Temple Island for practice while Bolin called Asami's house back.

"My cousin mentioned an establishment by the name of Narook's," Eska informed him. "Perhaps you could take Kinalik there for lunch."

Narook's. He'd only been there a handful of times since…The Incident. However, maybe enough time had passed that they'd forgotten about it. Whatever would make Eska and/or Korra less likely to murder him.

"Narook's it is, then," he said, "Should I pick her up around eleven? I had a thing I wanted to do before."

Eska confirmed it, and they hung up again.

Now…it was time to face Mako. He'd been avoiding him for too long.

\---------------------------------------------------------------------------

He wasn't sure whether his brother would actually be in the office today, and had been prepared to leave a message. Mako was right there at his desk, though. Bolin gave a condensed version of what had taken place since their rushed phone conversation not quite 48 hours ago.

"I have to say I'm surprised, bro," Mako had when Bolin had finished talking. "I admit I was really pissed at you, but I like how you're accepting responsibility on your own. Good for you."

"Awwww…thanks!" Bolin gushed. He gave Mako a hug, which his brother accepted, albeit somewhat stiffly.

"Just remember," Mako cautioned, "It's not all going to be fun and games. Kids that age throw tantrums. They get sick. They make messes. They say embarrassing things."

"Gee, it's almost like you have firsthand experience or something."

"Maybe I do. Anyway, how's the job hunt going?"

Bolin looked away. He'd been afraid of this.

"Not great," he admitted. "I always have trouble filling out the applications."

Mako seemed surprised.

"I can help you with those, Bolin, you know I will! All you have to do is ask."

"I…I guess I wanted to do it myself. And I thought you were busy."

"I'm never _that_ busy. You know how important this is. So the police thing didn't work out...you gotta keep trying. You can't rely on probending or movers. Especially not now with your new…obligations."

"Yeah, I get it. I hear you," Bolin said; in fact he had already heard it several times before. "I'll see what I can do tomorrow."

"Sounds good. Oh, one more thing."

"Yeah?"

"You know the family reunion in two weeks for Grandma's birthday?"

"Well…of course," Bolin said. Who _wouldn't_ know about it? All twelve of Grandma's surviving children, plus those children's children and grandchildren, would be there. In total, there would be well over a hundred people.

"I was thinking…if we took Kinalik and Eska there, Grandma would be over the moon. You know how she is about royalty, and if she found out that one of her own descendants was royal…"

"Yeah, I see what you mean. I'll try; I'm not sure Eska would be too keen on it." He glanced at a nearby clock. "Right now, though, it's 10:30, so I gotta run. Nice talking to you, Mako!"

He got to Asami's house just in time. Eska answered the door. Kinalik, newly outfitted in Earth Kingdom green, was clutching her hand.

"She is slightly nervous," Eska told him. "The anticipation caught up to her."

"Does she still want to go out?"

Eska asked Kinalik, who nodded.

"I can drive you!" Korra shouted out as she ran into the front hallway, accompanied by Desna. "There and back. It's his turn to go shopping today. And I've gotten much better at driving, so don't look at me like that!"

"Uh, sure. Whatever you say, Korra." Then Bolin remembered what Mako had said. He turned to Eska and inquired in a low voice, "So…what about diapers?"

Eska looked affronted.

"Kinalik has been fully toilet-trained for three months now," she announced more loudly than Bolin would have liked.

"Well, um, congratulations then!" But Eska wasn't done talking.

"And remember. If you leave her unattended for even one second, and harm comes to her, I will personally disembowel you."

Now _that_ was more like the Eska Bolin remembered. He tried to make a joke to ease the mood.

"No dolphin piranhas today, huh?"

Eska blinked and tilted her head.

"They are not indigenous to these waters," was all she said.

"I believe that he was making a weak attempt at humor," Desna told her.

"Oh."

Bolin thought he was starting to get what Opal had said about Eska being oblivious.

\---------------------------------------------------------------------------

For all he knew, Korra was actually "much better" at driving, but he soon found out that this was relatively speaking.

"You okay?" he asked Kinalik once they had reached their destination and he was lifting her out of Asami's old booster seat; she looked a bit green around the gills and didn't reply.

"Let's sit here for a bit," Bolin offered as he patted a nearby bench. They sat there for a few minutes until Kinalik's color returned, Bolin doing a running commentary on anything that he thought might be of interest to a three-year-old.

"Look at that rooster pigeon!" he said as he pointed. "See how fat it is? I bet that it got kicked out of the nest because it kept stealing food from its brothers and sisters!"

Eska would likely have opined that the rooster pigeon had eaten its siblings as well, but Kinalik simply giggled.

"Speaking of food…want to go eat now?" he offered.

"Okay."

"Now I don't know about you, but _I'm_ starving!" he exclaimed as he helped his daughter off the bench. He remembered Eska's threat, and added, "Don't let go of my hand, okay?"

Narook's was only a couple of blocks over, in a new location since the old one had been destroyed in the battle with Kuvira. Narook himself was working there today.

"Why hello, Bolin!" he said. "And look at that pretty young lady who's your guest!" He was evidently tactful enough to not ask questions as to their relationship.

Kinalik hid behind Bolin's legs.

"She's pretty shy," he explained as way of apology. Narook waved it off.

"You having the usual?" he asked.

"Yeah. And the kid's size for her."

They sat down at the nearest table, Kinalik continuing to obediently grasp Bolin's hand.

"We don't have to hold hands while we're in here," he clarified. "Just when we're outside."

Their orders arrived shortly. Kinalik looked uncertain at first, but once Bolin had persuaded her to taste it, she ate with gusto.

After they were finished and the bill had been paid, Bolin was unsure what to do next, since Korra wasn't picking them up until two. Thankfully, Kinalik decided for him.

"Shiny!" she exclaimed, pointing at a glimmer in the distance.

"That's the pro-bending arena. You wanna go see it?"

"Yeah!"

"Sounds good. It's a bit of a walk, so I'll carry you, okay?"

Once Kinalik gave her consent, they set off. Bolin was relieved that his leg only bothered him slightly.

Kinalik was mesmerized once they reached the building. It was touching to see her reaction to it as a newcomer, since Bolin was so thoroughly used to it. She dragged him over and put her hands against the wall, staring intently at her slightly distorted reflection. She would have licked the wall too, but Bolin caught her in time.

"Pretty neat, huh? Did you know I used to work here?"

Well, that was a dumb question…of course she didn't.

"And I might still be working here, but…" he sighed, "I hurt my knee a few months back during a game. They're not sure yet whether I'll be able to play again."

Kinalik tore her gaze from the wall long enough to shoot him a look of concern.

"Boo-boo?" she asked.

"It was a bit more than that," Bolin replied.

"Wow," said Kinalik, as if it was difficult for her to imagine any greater injury than a boo-boo.

Right then, they heard a yell.

"HEY! Hands off the wall! I _just_ cleaned that!"

"Ugh…we better go. Yeah, I know, I know…" Bolin said as he dragged a whining Kinalik away from the building.

Now it was nearing time for Korra to pick them up, and Bolin felt a sense of satisfaction about how the day had gone. And he'd gotten through the whole outing without Kinalik having to use the…

"Potty?"

So much for that. Okay, don't panic, don't panic…he was panicking, wasn't he?

First he had to ask where the nearest public bathrooms were, then he was paralyzed with indecision as he tried to decide which bathroom would be the least bad option. She was a girl, so the obvious choice would be the women's room, but he wasn't sure he was allowed to be in there even with a small child. On the other hand, men's rooms were so gross…and full of man parts…

"POTTY!"

Men's room it was. Bolin clapped a hand over Kinalik's eyes and ran inside with her as fast as he could. Thankfully there was a stall open…and thankfully the seat was clean.

He hoped that waiting outside the stall didn't count as "unattended." He didn't think that anyone would be able to hurt her in there, unless someone were to descend from the ceiling on a rope. He instantly regretted thinking that thought.

Five minutes passed, then ten. Bolin was getting nervous. What if people recognized him? He did not want to have to deal with the paparazzi with such a timid child in tow.

"You need any help?" he asked the stall door. No answer.

"Hey, buddy, what's the holdup?" a rough-looking guy demanded.

Bolin tried to look as threatening as he possibly could and replied, "My kid is in there."

He'd hoped that this would scare that man off… no such luck.

"You look familiar," the guy said. "Now where have I seen you before?"

Yikes.

While the guy was trying to puzzle this out, Bolin was finally bailed out by the toilet flushing. Once the door opened, he hurried Kinalik over to the sinks and held her up so she could wash her hands. They had to get out of there before…

"HEY! I remember now! You're that probender what got hurt!" the man shouted, causing several heads to turn.

"Okay, Ki, that's enough washing," he told her. They ran out, Bolin not even bothering to turn off the tap. Thankfully, their "friend" didn't pursue them.

They were safe for now. But there was going to be talk. Bolin doubted that this guy would keep their encounter a secret.

\---------------------------------------------------------------------------

Despite this challenge, Kinalik was returned to her mother in one piece; she didn't even get carsick on the drive home.

After enduring several disconcerting questions from Eska about Kinalik's bathroom visit ("Foolish turtleduck. You are a parent now. There is no longer any such thing as 'too much information,'" she scolded him when he complained), Bolin was at last in the clear to leave.

"Just so you know, I won't be available for a while," he told Eska. "I have to go job hunting for the next few days." He made a face.

"You will be at the Avatar's relocation gala, however?"

"Yeah."

"Then I suppose Desna and I shall encounter you then."

"Yep!" Bolin said cheerfully. He felt proud of himself as the door closed. He had tackled some adulting, and he hadn't messed it up!


	4. In Which Eska Dances With Mixed Results

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I tried to draw a picture of Eska in her dress from this chapter, but even after working for most of the evening on it, it still didn't turn out how I liked, so I decided to not upload it.

" _So_ uncultured," Eska grumbled as she picked herself up from the ballroom floor after tripping over her own feet for what seemed like the thousandth time today. To her chagrin, she had been informed two days ago that there would be dancing involved in Korra's party. While she had been educated in Northern Water Tribe dance as a child, the steps she had learned were slow, fluid, and elegant-much like waterbending itself. However, the dances preferred in Republic City were fast-paced and involved frenetic flailing of limbs. Nevertheless, she had decided that she would also learn this inferior art, which had proven more difficult than she had thought.

"You don't _have_ to dance at the party, you know," Korra said as she walked in. Evidently, she had heard the thump of Eska falling and had decided to investigate. "I already told you that. Lots of people won't be."

Eska turned to face her slowly and deliberately.

"And _I_ have told _you_ , cousin, that I will not allow these barbaric 'moves' to master me. Plus, I must do something to occupy myself in this backwater," she replied through gritted teeth.

"Well, suit yourself."

"Is that the sole reason you came? To mock me?" Eska demanded as she inspected her skin for new bruises.

"Well…uh…no, actually," Korra said.

"Then state your business with me or leave!"

"It's Kinalik," Korra reported as her voice grew stern, "She's out of control. We've spent the whole morning chasing after her, and she just ran in on Asami's board meeting. Can't you do anything to keep her in line?"

Eska bristled, annoyed that Korra would be criticizing her parenting style when her cousin didn't have any children of her own.

"Did you ask Desna?" she inquired.

"He told me to ask you."

Coward.

The truth, although Eska was loath to admit it even to herself, was that she had never been certain how to discipline her child. Whenever she tried, she would be inundated by memories of her own mother yelling at her and freeze up with panic. Naturally, she could not let anyone know that.

"I will see what I can accomplish," was all she said.

They found Kinalik in the kitchen, where Desna and Asami had momentarily subdued her with a snack.

"I apologize," Desna said to her. "I did not want to commit any action that would contradict your wishes."

Eska found this surprising. Did he not already know what her wishes were? Turning to Kinalik, she said, "Cousin Korra has informed me that your behavior has been less than ideal."

"I'm _bored_!" Kinalik whined.

"I wonder where she heard that?" Korra muttered to Asami. Eska pretended not to hear. She picked up a napkin and bent down to wipe crumbs off of Kinalik's face; her daughter fussed and tried to turn her head away, but ultimately submitted to the inevitable.

"Now," Eska said once this task was accomplished, "What would make you not bored?"

"I wanna see Bolin!"

"As I am certain we all do. Unfortunately, he is currently occupied with-how did he put it?-hunting of jobs. Desna and I have already informed you of such a fact many times."

"Are there any children of her age in this area who could amuse her?" Desna asked.

Korra thought for a moment. Then she snapped her fingers.

"Rohan! Duh! Why didn't I think of him before?"

"Desna and I are unfamiliar with such a personage," Eska told her.

"He's Tenzin and Pema's youngest. I think he's turning five in…two months? Yeah. So not too much older than Kinalik."

"Will he scar my daughter for life?" Eska asked.

"I don't think so. He's pretty quiet."

"I suppose it is worth an attempt. Desna? What is your opinion?"

"As long as he's nothing like that brother of his," Desna said. Eska recalled only a vague image of a small child in airbender clothes making a mess at the children's table during that banquet four years ago. She thought that Desna likely had a clearer memory. That was the day she'd had that awful headache, after all. Plus, her first meeting with Bolin overshadowed all of that evening's other events.

In any case, Korra assured Desna that no, the two brothers were not alike at all.

Korra left shortly thereafter to catch the ferry to Air Temple Island, and returned about an hour later with a small boy, who was nonetheless several inches taller than Kinalik. At a gentle nudge from Korra, the boy said, "Hi."

Kinalik remained silent.

"Exchange greetings, Kinalik," Eska prompted. Kinalik whispered something virtually inaudible. Rohan didn't seem to mind.

The children made a beeline for the living room, where Asami had kept Kinalik occupied for the hour Korra was gone by arranging the old toys. Rather than playing together, the duo appeared to be playing separate games while sitting side by side. Nevertheless, they seemed content in each other's company. At one point, Kinalik started rocking in excitement. Eska was prepared to intervene in the event that Rohan made fun of her, but he only glanced over briefly before returning to his game of what appeared to be a battle between a squadron of toy Satomobiles united against a large stuffed armadillo lion.

For a while, there was silence except for occasional partially comprehensible mumblings from one of the children. Then Korra spoke up.

"So are you ready to tell me why you brought her here?" she asked.

"I suppose that this would be as good an occasion as any," Eska answered. "Desna?"

He nodded. Korra asked if Asami could accompany them. Eska's initial instinct was to say no, but she decided that they should allow it. It was her house, after all.

They got the butler to watch over the children, which he didn't look thrilled about, and gathered in Asami's meeting room. Once they were inside, they pulled the thick double doors shut and locked them, so they would be certain to be undisturbed.

Their conversation lasted for most of the afternoon. By the time it was over, Eska was confident that the only possible decision had been reached.

"So I'll try to arrange a meeting after the party," Korra said as they left. "And I'll call Dad to work out the details."

"And you believe that he would say no?" Desna asked.

"I do. Once he might not have…but things have changed now."

As they returned to the living room so Korra could take Rohan home, they saw that the entire floor was covered in tiny pieces of packing paper. Rohan was "feeding" some to the stuffed armadillo lion, much to Kinalik's apparent enjoyment.

"Don't worry about it," Asami told the butler as Rohan made some particularly loud eating noises and Kinalik shrieked in excitement, "It's just paper. I'll clean it up as soon as they're gone."

"Who is going to tell them that it's time for Rohan to depart?" Eska inquired.

"Uhhh….good question!" said Korra.

\---------------------------------------------------------------------------

Although it took some effort, they managed to do it in the end. The next three days went by quickly. Rohan came over on two of those days, and to Korra's dismay quickly became a devotee of Kinalik's game of running down the hallways at top speed. At least no more of Asami's meetings were interrupted.

In the meantime, Eska continued her dance practice. That, combined with going downtown for dress fittings, left her with very little time to be bored. Although her skills left much to be desired, by the time she had to cede the ballroom to the decorators and caterers, she had at least mastered the aspect of not falling.

As the time drew near that evening and Kinalik had duly been put to bed, Eska was making the final touches on her appearance. Asami had let her borrow some of her unopened makeup, and had encouraged Eska to wear lipstick for the first time in her life.

"You have nice lips, but they could use a little definition," she explained. Eska had eventually chosen a dark pink shade to appease her. It did look striking, she thought as she examined herself in the mirror. Unfortunately, it felt most unpleasant on her lips, and she had to use every bit of her restraint to not bite it all off.

In addition, she'd had to shave the hair under her arms, also for the first time in her life, to wear this dress. How odd!

Her dress was a deep, vibrant blue and sleeveless, with a low neckline (and inserts in the bust area to avoid any unsightly loose fabric). The floor-length skirt had an asymmetrical hem which was trimmed in gray fringe to mimic fur, and revealed a white underskirt with an embroidered wave pattern at the hem. Her bangs had been clipped back again, and her hair given a liberal dose of volumizing spray-also a gift from Asami. She looked in the mirror, hoping to see herself magically transformed. Instead, she looked like…like…well, to be honest, she merely looked like herself with slightly fluffier hair and a more revealing outfit.

Maybe this wasn't such a good idea after all. But she had no time to change her mind, since Desna arrived just at that moment to escort her to the ballroom. He was attired in a somewhat simpler outfit of white dress shirt and dark blue pants, and he had pinned his hair up.

"A most interesting new hairstyle," Eska commented. "Did Asami position her phalanges upon you as well?"

Desna looked surprised at her compliment, and paused a couple of seconds before answering, "That would be a negative. When I was out shopping, I saw that many young men in Little Water Tribe had affected this style, and I wanted to attempt it myself."

"You should consider keeping it," Eska replied. "I implore you to not reciprocate this sentiment with regards to my lipstick."

Desna said that he wouldn't.

The ballroom was already crowded by the time they got down there. Eska gripped onto the edge of a refreshment table at the back of the room, and began to feel dizzy. She noticed that this table had upon it an assortment of small glasses containing various brightly-colored liquids, and grabbed one. She had never consumed alcohol before in her life, but she hoped that one drink would help her relax without making her completely inebriated.

"Wish me luck," she requested of Desna, who looked at her dubiously. Eska tried a small sip first, which tasted disgusting. So she held her nose, tipped her head back, and drank the whole thing in one go.

While she was trying to recover her breath, Korra and Asami walked onto a raised platform where the band was setting up.

"Hello, everybody!" Asami said. "I hope you all enjoy yourselves! You can dance, or talk, or hang around and eat. We promise that we won't judge you! Just…try to pace yourselves with the cocktails, okay? We don't want anyone getting alcohol poisoning!"

"Oh, and of course, we don't care who dances with whom," Korra added. Unlike Asami, who was speaking into a microphone, Korra was using airbending to amplify her voice. "Nor do we care whether or not you're any good."

Was she looking at Eska when she said this?

"So let the festivities begin!" Asami exclaimed, to much cheering from the partygoers.

All right. All right. She could do this. It was not going to be as bad as she feared, Eska attempted to convince herself. Probably no one would even want to dance with her. She found a nearby chair so she could observe in an unobtrusive manner. Desna had moved off elsewhere, and she could no longer see him.

There was so much background noise, and Eska was so intently watching Korra and Asami's first dance, that she didn't sense the person approaching. So she was badly startled when she felt a tentative tap on her shoulder.

"How _dare_ you…oh. Hello, ex-boyfriend."

"Uh…hi. Sorry," said Bolin. "I tried saying your name, but you didn't seem to hear."

"It is of no concern," responded Eska.

"So…what do you think about a dance? For old time's sake?"

"Does your girlfriend know about this?"

"She was the one to suggest it, actually."

Thus reassured, Eska allowed Bolin to take her hand and help her up. She forced herself to stand as straight as possible, pointedly ignoring the complaints of her back, and hoped that her sweaty palms would not be a deterrent. She was relieved to discover that Bolin was nearly as bad as she was at dancing, although his bad leg might have contributed to that. None of their combined four feet remained unstepped on.

"How goes the occupation ensnarement?" Eska inquired.

Bolin grimaced. "Don't ask."

Had she already messed things up?

"I was not aware of that rule when I posed that query," she said cautiously.

"No, it's okay. I meant don't ask _again_."

"Ah."

There was silence for a while as they both concentrated on the dance steps. Then Bolin ventured, "I like your lipstick."

"Thank you. I despise it." Eska allowed herself one quick lip bite to alleviate the discomfort.

"You know, you're really hot when you do that," Bolin blurted out. Eska looked up in surprise, and hoped that she wasn't visibly blushing. She was aware of the alternate meaning of that word from her magazine reading, but she had never thought it could be applied to her.

"Uh…whoa, did I say that out loud?" he asked. "Awkwaarrd."

"I do not find that sentiment unpleasing," Eska confessed.

"Oh? Well, I guess that's good."

As neither of them knew what to say after that, they lapsed into silence for the remainder of the song.

Eska considered requesting that Bolin dance with her brother next. She knew of Desna's past (and possibly present) feelings for her ex-boyfriend, and didn't want him to feel left out. However, she knew that Desna would know that she had put Bolin up to it, and thought that he wouldn't want to be pitied, so she decided against it.

She sat back down to catch her breath and rest her back for a few minutes, but no sooner had she started to ideate a plan to track Opal down and have a long-overdue talk with her than there was a commotion at the entrance to the ballroom.

"We have arrived! Fashionably late as always!" a familiar voice shouted. Tahno the Trombone Man had made his triumphant return, accompanied by two men and two women. After exchanging greetings with Asami, Tahno scanned the room. This time, Eska was prepared when he located and approached her.

"Care to dance?" he asked.

"I am not certain," Eska answered as she gazed at him through narrowed eyes.

"Well, would it change your mind if I were to tell you that I know the Northern Water Tribe style?"

It changed her mind. Having not had many opportunities to practice her skills at home, she was relieved when they still came easily to her.

"I must say, you are quite a bit more refined than your cousin is," Tahno remarked. _So he did know_!

"Don't worry. Your secret's safe with me," he added at her inhalation.

"I should hope so," Eska said tartly. "And as to my cousin's lack of refinement, it is to be expected. The South is a swirling vortex of deepest pain and anguish. The best part of my extended stay there was boarding the boat to depart."

"I've never been there myself, but I'll take your word for it."

"Where _is_ your place of origin? You do not resemble a Water Tribesman."

"That's for me to know and for you to find out."

"You are truly the most vexatious individual to ever occupy space on this planet," Eska informed him as she executed a perfect twirl.

Tahno mirrored her and said, "If you want me to lay off, I will. Just give me the word."

"No, continue. You are good for entertaining banter if nothing else."

And banter they did, through the entire dance. Eska thought if Tahno had been one of her suitors when she was sixteen, she may well have accepted his proposal and avoided the mess with Bolin entirely. However, she was twenty now, and much had changed. Plus, she would have had to contend with his other female companions. If their looks could kill, she would have perished fifty times over.

Once the current song ended, Eska bade Tahno farewell and set off to find Opal again. She discovered the other woman, clad in a dark green drop-waist dress and feathered headband, chatting with Korra.

"May we converse?" Eska asked her.

"Oh? Yeah, sure. I'll catch you later, Korra."

Once they had walked out of the Avatar's earshot, Eska asked, "Should you not be wearing airbender colors?" No one had actually told Eska that Opal was an airbender; she surmised it from the fact that Opal had been on Air Temple Island when it had been nearly bedtime.

"I did think about it," Opal stated. "But I grew up in the Earth Kingdom, and green is really more my color, don't you think? And I chose this,"-she gestured at her headband-"to represent my airbender side."

"I believe that I understand your logic," Eska responded.

"And you know what?" Opal added. "Bolin wears the _exact same_ outfit every time we go to a party, no matter how many times I try to get him to buy a new one. Isn't it awful?" Her nose wrinkled, yet her eyes glimmered in amusement when Eska snuck a glance at them.

"Why would he need to purchase a new one if the old one is still serviceable?" Eska asked. She had noticed no defects in his clothing when they danced.

"Oh, I can't believe this! You're as bad as he is!" Opal exclaimed. Eska must have looked uncertain, because she added, "You know I was only joking, right? I don't really think you're bad."

Well, she may not now, but she certainly would after Eska had said what she needed to say.

She braced herself and said, "I have a confession to make."

"Oh?"

"I…actually had a brief encounter with you before, although you wouldn't know it. I hung up the phone on you once."

"You did?"

"Yes. My intent was to tell Bolin that I was with child, but…I lost my nerve. This would have been a few weeks short of four years ago."

"Four years ago? I actually do think I remember that," Opal mused. "Bolin had left with Kuvira a couple of days before, and I was expecting a call from him. The funny thing was, he actually did call about half an hour later, so I assumed that the first call was also from him and he'd had a bad connection!"

"So my call would have been in vain even had I spoken up," Eska said flatly. "Since he was no longer present at that location."

"Well, I'm sure we could have tracked him down eventually."

The verbal assault that Eska had been anticipating for even briefly considering becoming re-involved with Bolin never came.

"You are not…angry?" she asked. Why was this woman always so _nice_ to her?

"Why would I be?"

"I…I am not used to being treated this way by anyone except for my brother. Everyone else either fears me or hates me. Or both. I assume that Bolin has informed you of our past tempestuous relationship."

"Yeah, he did. You know you made some bad choices, right?"

"Yes."

"And you're not planning to repeat them?"

"No."

"In that case, don't you think you deserve a second chance? Granted, I had to make Bolin work for his, but I think you've punished yourself enough already."

Eska looked at Opal in surprise; Opal looked back with a pleasant smile on her face. Eska's face felt warm again, for reasons unclear to her. Most unfortunately, as she opened her mouth to reply, her back chose that instant to give out completely.


	5. In Which the Twins Make Their Move

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Finally, I can use my knowledge of medical records where it really counts...in FANFICTION!

Desna was halfway across the room inspecting the shrimp puffs, yet he heard the cry of pain. He ran to the source, pushing aside anyone unfortunate enough to get in the way, and found his sister lying in a surprised and upset-looking Opal's arms.

"What happened?" he said, attempting to remain calm for Eska's sake.

"My back…" she bit out. Neither of them had time to say anything else as Bolin and Korra arrived on the scene. By now, a crowd was starting to form.

"She injured her back," Desna informed Korra.

"Oh…wow. Opal, can you turn her over so I can see?"

This was done, although Eska had to bite back another cry when she was moved. Even from several inches away, Desna could see the muscle spasms.

"All right, then," Korra said, switching into Avatar Mode. (Not the Avatar _State_ , but impressive in its own right.) "Bolin, help Opal hold her still. Desna, go get some water. I want to see if we can heal her."

As Desna left, Korra magnified her voice again, and told the crowd, "Everyone, please go back to what you were doing and give us some room to work! There is nothing to see here! We have things under control!" The crowd mostly obeyed; some with more grumbling than others. Desna spotted Eska's dancing partner Tahno hovering around the periphery; his height apparently allowed him to see over the other people.

Desna retrieved a pitcher of ice water from the drink table and returned as quickly as he could without spilling it. He and Korra prepared their hands and did a double dose of healing. Despite this, Eska continued to appear in agony.

"Any change?" he asked. Eska shook her head.

"Asami!" Korra yelled. "We have someone who needs the hospital!" Asami showed up so quickly that it was almost like she had teleported. Desna had the idea that perhaps they had rehearsed this scenario before the party.

Asami took one look and grimaced in sympathy.

"I can drive," she offered. "I'm sorry Korra, but…your driving with her back? Not happening. We'll need Desna too, of course. Bolin, you carry her to the car. Be careful not to jog her."

Eska was transferred slowly from Opal's arms to Bolin's. Her eyes were unfocused from the pain, and she appeared to be only partially aware of what was going on.

"Don't worry. I gotcha," Bolin said to her.

"It will be all right, sister," Desna added as he stroked her hair. He felt slightly guilty for having a fleeting desire to be in her place, and not just so Eska wouldn't be in pain.

"Anything I can do to help?" Tahno asked. He appeared a bit rattled. Desna had actually never met him before now; nevertheless, he had heard enough about him from Eska that he surmised that this was atypical.

"You stay here with me," Korra answered. "I'll need you to distract all these other guests."

And so they set off, Asami walking ahead to get the Satomobile ready and Bolin and Desna walking more slowly so as not to make any sudden movements.

Once they got outside, there was another conundrum: How to get Eska inside the Satomobile. They ultimately had Desna sit on the back seat first and be there to stabilize Eska's head as Bolin guided the rest of her body in. That accomplished, Asami got in the driver's seat and drove off as quickly as was safe. Desna caught a glimpse of Opal rejoining Bolin and the two of them waving goodbye as the car went down the driveway.

Eska lay there silently except for the occasional moan for the entire drive, her head in Desna's lap. One of her hands groped around in the darkness until it found his.

They must have made quite a sight as they burst into the emergency room triage area in all their formalwear, with both Asami and Desna supporting Eska's weight. Despite the staff's instant recognition of Asami, they still had to wait almost half an hour to be seen. At least Eska had been provided with a stretcher on which to lie.

Having never been to a hospital before, Desna realized that his assumptions about how one operated had been incorrect. He had thought that Eska would be admitted after her vital signs were taken. Instead, she was transported to a sort of holding area, which was a small cubicle containing a bed, with only a curtain dividing it from the main hallway.

"They do some tests first to see if admission is required," Asami explained when Desna asked.

After a short time, a doctor came to take a history…despite Desna already having given one to the nurse.

"We were both born with a spinal deformity," Desna said once again. "I am unaware of exactly what it is. Hers has always seemed to be worse than mine."

The exam was agonizing for Desna to watch; the doctor made Eska move every which way despite this obviously causing her great pain. Then Eska was given an injection for the pain and taken away for X-rays. When she returned a short while later, she seemed slightly more alert. An IV had been started for further pain control, and they also drew some of Eska's blood to check for infection.

And then…they were mostly left to their own devices for the most part until the results came in. Other than occasionally having to step out of the cubicle when Eska had to use the bedpan due to all the IV fluids, there wasn't much to do.

"If the Fog of Lost Souls had a physical counterpart…it would be this," Desna opined. Asami laughed, and he even managed to get a small smile from Eska.

"Well, if our advisors haven't tracked us down yet, they surely will be able to now," she commented wryly.

"Don't worry about that yet!" Asami admonished. "Just focus on getting better."

"Do you recall when our current positions were switched?" Eska asked Desna.

"At the South Pole? I don't see how I could forget," he answered. Even though he knew that Asami of all people wouldn't judge him, he opted not to mention what he had divulged to Eska at that time while there was another person present.

Nothing further happened for what seemed an extraordinary length of time; Desna had actually started dozing off by the time the doctor came back with the results. The doctor explained that Eska had two vertebrae with what were called "wedge deformities," but that the X ray didn't show any acute findings other than a possible small disc herniation. There had also been no alarming neurological findings on exam. Thus, he concluded, the main source of the pain was likely a severe muscle strain.

"It's not a large enough curvature that surgery would be indicated," the doctor said. "And with this type of condition, surgery stops being useful once you're done growing anyway."

"How fascinating. It is most unfortunate that our parents did not see fit to convey this information to us at an earlier time," Eska answered.

She was discharged with instructions to take it easy for a few days, and to then start an exercise program. They were also given prescriptions for a week's worth of muscle relaxants and six painkiller pills. (The doctor cautioned that the latter was to be taken "Only when absolutely necessary.")

By the time they finally left the building, it was getting close to dawn. Eska was moved to another bedroom where she could get some peace and quiet, and Desna ran up to the old bedroom, hoping that Kinalik hadn't woken up to an empty room and panicked. Thankfully, she was still sound asleep. Desna quickly undid his hair and made up a bed for himself on the floor; he was worried that it might look wrong for him to share a bed with Kinalik while Eska wasn't also present. Despite this, he was out like a light almost as soon as he lay down.

He woke up to see a pair of green eyes peering at his face.

"Mama Desna? Where's Mama Eska?" Kinalik asked. Desna wasn't sure he'd ever heard her make that distinction before; when they were all together, there was no need to.

"She hurt her back, so she needs her rest," Desna explained once he found his voice.

"She has a boo-boo? Like Bolin?"

Apparently, she knew something that Desna didn't. "I suppose so," was all he said.

Kinalik had already used the toilet on her own, but she still needed some assistance with dressing and brushing her teeth and hair. Desna's thoughts drifted back to the days when Kinalik was a tiny baby and he'd been responsible for most of her care while Eska was sick.

They didn't venture downstairs until close to noon. Asami was nodding off over her bowl of congee, and Korra's eyes were puffy. Kinalik was the only one of them who looked well-rested.

"Y'know, I might take Kinalik down to the pool," Korra said after stifling a yawn. "She hasn't seen it yet, and it'll at least keep her out of your way for a couple of hours. Asami got her a bathing suit when she was out with Eska."

After breakfast, Desna went to check on Eska. He heard stirring from inside the room, so he went back downstairs to retrieve and deliver the breakfast that had already been prepared for her. She was still out of sorts from the medication, but did manage to smile and thank him.

After checking that she could walk around the room independently (she could), he returned to the other bedroom, brushed his hair, and put it back up. He stared at this new style in the mirror. He had decided that he would take Eska's advice and adopt it at least for the time being.

It certainly made him look different. Older, somehow. And it would be much more difficult for people to confuse him with Eska.

He sighed. Was it wrong that he wanted to be something more than just Mama Desna?

\---------------------------------------------------------------------------

That very afternoon, one of their advisors made a call to the Sato estate. It appeared that Eska had been correct about the hospital visit revealing their whereabouts.

"Eska has been injured," he informed Imnek, the Minister of War. "We require three additional days." Then he shut the door before Imnek could say anything further. He supposed that Eska's injury may have been a blessing in disguise, because it gave them an excuse to delay.

Those three days were hectic. Korra had to make trips to both poles to complete paperwork, and conducted several meetings with legal experts. However, all the work was worth it in the end; they received confirmation that their plan was ready to proceed.

The morning of the meeting, Eska refused to take any medicine stronger than aspirin, so her wits would not be dulled.

"The pain is not so bad anymore," she said. Desna got the impression that she wasn't entirely truthful, but decided to let it drop.

The trio of advisors showed up exactly at the scheduled time. Eska and Desna, dressed in their old robes, led them to Asami's meeting room. The two of them, plus Korra, sat on one end of the table, and the advisors sat at the other.

"You may speak first," Desna told them.

"This has all been a big misunderstanding!" Imnek exclaimed. He was almost always the first advisor to offer his opinion in any situation, even in times of peace. "What would ever make you think that we would kill a harmless child? Please come back. Your tribe needs you!"

"Perhaps you are correct. Perhaps we did overreact. Then what would the alternative be?" Eska asked. "That you would make us disinherit her and force me to marry a man of your choosing to beget a proper heir? That option does not satisfy me either."

Panuk, the Minster of Finance, was next to speak up. Desna already deeply disliked him because he had made Desna retain that awful tailor.

"Who said anything about that?" he said in a voice that he must have thought was reassuring, when in fact it just sounded patronizing. "Believe me, I know that the bond between a mother and her child is a beautiful thing, and that the maternal instinct to protect is strong, but you must understand…"

"We understand perfectly," Desna cut in, not wanting to listen to him for even one instant longer.

"You are correct. My child's welfare is indeed of utmost importance. We cannot take the risk of her coming to any harm. That is why both of us are abdicating," Eska said. Desna was impressed about how casual she sounded; as if they hadn't spent hours agonizing over the decision.

There were several seconds of shocked silence. Then the advisors all started talking at once.

"Have you two lost your minds entirely?!"

"You can't!"

" _Both_ of you?"

"If you would just be reasonable…"

Eska, Desna, and Korra remained quiet until the advisors calmed down enough to talk one at a time.

"Could you not just abdicate and leave your brother as sole ruler?" the third man asked. Desna recognized him as the Interior Minister, but could not recall his name.

"I believe that Desna has already made it clear that either we rule together or not at all," Eska answered.

"We need a chieftain! Who would fill your place?"

"Don't sell yourselves short," Desna said. "We were little more than figureheads and you know that. Still, we did observe the niceties and found a replacement so you wouldn't have to. Korra, if you will?"

"Sure," Korra said as she reached inside a briefcase and retrieved a thick sheaf of papers. "Dad has waived his rights, and so have I. We've already signed the papers. The person next in line would be our second cousin once removed, Yutai. We have made contact with him, and he has accepted and signed papers to that effect as well."

"That arctic hen-pecked idiot?" Imnek blustered as he tugged on his pointed beard.

Yutai had been on Father's council as Interior Minister when Eska and Desna were little. His downfall had come when he had married and had tried to get his wife Kirima a seat on the council as well. From what Desna had learned over these past three days, Father had actually been inclined to allow it, but the opposition from the other advisors was so strong that Yutai had been forced to resign and leave court. His replacement was the man whose name Desna couldn't remember. Of course, Eska and Desna had been around seven then, so they had not yet understood the politics behind his departure. However, Desna remembered him as a pleasant man who had treated the twins with respect even at their young age.

"He is full-blooded Water Tribe, and a waterbender to boot," Eska was saying. "He also has three children, two of whom are sons. So you should have no objections."

"But…but…we just built those two thrones barely four years ago! It will be very costly to take them down and build the one throne again!" protested Panuk. Clearly, they were grasping at straws now.

"Do not worry. That will not be a problem," Desna stated.

Eska added, "Yutai accepted the throne on one condition…that his wife be crowned alongside him. We were more than happy to grant it."

All three advisors were turning various shades of purple.

"And we have run these papers by Asami's lawyers…plus I have an acquaintance who knows a thing or two about abdication, who let me consult his legal team as well," Korra stated. "There is no law stating that a Northern Water Tribe chieftain must give his advisors advance notice if he…or she…wishes to abdicate. Although I suspect there will be after this. For now, all that is left to do to make these binding is for Eska and Desna to sign."

"We hadn't signed yet because we wanted to see whether you could change our minds. You failed miserably," Eska explained.

There was nothing that Imnek, Panuk, and Mr. Nameless could do now short of physical violence, which even they were smart enough to not attempt. They watched as first Eska then Desna added their signatures. They did this as slowly and deliberately as possible, while staring at the advisors the entire time.

When the three men finally gave up and left, Eska collapsed into her chair. Desna and Korra helped her back up to the bedroom, and Desna handed her the bottle of painkillers; he supposed if any time were "absolutely necessary," this would be it.

It was done. For better or worse, they were free.

\---------------------------------------------------------------------------

The next day, they boarded a ship to return north for the coronation. Except it was their home no longer; they had opted for voluntary exile. Even when no longer the chieftains, they feared for the safety of Kinalik in this place.

Mother was there to "greet" them as soon as they disembarked. She was vibrating with fury, but at least managed to delay her tirade until they had gotten to a vacant room in the palace and her attendant had left the room. Once she unleashed it, it was a fierce one.

"So you could not leave well enough alone, Eska?" she demanded. "I thought you had the sense to refrain from further immoral behavior, but apparently being co-chieftain was not enough for you. Not only did you up and leave to fulfill one of your ridiculous whims, you dragged your brother into it too! Desna, I thought you had more sense than this. And you didn't even stop and think about how much I would suffer?!" She paused to catch her breath, then added almost plaintively, "And what did you two do with your hair?!"

"You need not worry about your living situation, Mother," was all Desna said. "We have already made arrangements for that. Yutai promises that he will keep you living in the luxury to which you are accustomed."

That was not sufficient for Mother. The twins stood in stony silence as she continued to rail about seemingly every little thing that Eska had ever done wrong in her entire life, until she lost her voice.

"Are you quite finished yet, Mother?" Eska finally asked.

"All I wanted was for you to find an appropriate marriage and settle down!" Mother croaked out. "I only wanted what was best for you!"

She began to cry; it looked like a genuine emotion, but one never knew with her. This gave Eska pause, but she ultimately stated, "I have nothing more to say to you on that matter. Farewell, Mother. I suppose it will not be for forever, even though I very much desire it to be."

She turned and walked out of the room. Desna only paused to look back at Mother briefly before he joined his sister.

Their meeting with Yutai and Kirima went better; it appeared that the tribe would be left in good hands. Yutai was neither handsome nor ugly, and had a short, stocky build. He bore a passing resemblance to Uncle Tonraq if one did not take his height into consideration.

Kirima was also a cousin of theirs, albeit even more distant than Yutai. She was taller than her husband, and cut an imposing figure. Her eyes were so dark blue that she almost appeared to lack pupils. She had been the first woman from the Northern Water Tribe to study at the university in Ba Sing Se, and had appealed directly to Father for permission. Of course, her intelligence and sheer force of will must have been the main factor in convincing father, but Desna was certain that her intimidating appearance must have played a role as well.

"We wish it hadn't had to come to this for your sake…but we will do our best to be good rulers," Yutai said. He had a way of speaking that managed to put one at ease; calm and measured, yet not oblivious.

"And we in return thank you for accepting this position on such short notice," Desna answered.

After some small talk, Eska stated that she wished to talk with Kirima privately. The two of them were gone for about five minutes, and when they returned, the facial expressions of both were unrevealing. Desna supposed that this was one thing that he would have to allow Eska to keep to herself.

At the coronation, Eska and Desna themselves carried the crowns and placed them on the heads of their new owners, to symbolize the peaceful transfer of power. Desna realized that he and Eska had never had a chance to wear them themselves after their own coronation. Well, it was no big loss. Those things looked hideous anyway.

In the Northern Water Tribe, coronations were solemn affairs with no surrounding festivities, so Desna and Eska were on the boat to Republic City first thing the next morning. It was a clear day, so they stood at the stern of the ship and watched their homeland slowly disappear into the horizon.

"So where do we proceed from here?" Eska inquired.

"I do not know," Desna admitted.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Eska's condition is known as Scheuermann's kyphosis, to those who were interested.


	6. In Which Mako is Not Melancholy

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alternate title: Kirby has the sense of humor of a 1st-grader! Yeah, this is the last chapter before the main plot arc starts, so it's a bit short and silly, and I had some fun with various references. 
> 
> About the comics, since a plot point from there comes up in this chapter: Turf Wars is considered canon, but not the next one, since all we have is a sample and hopefully this fic will be done or nearly done by the time Part 1 comes out.
> 
> TRIGGER WARNING: Some unintentional cisnormativity on Bolin's part.

Mako loved his grandmother dearly, and would do anything for her. This included suffering through a 3-day family reunion in honor of her ninety-second birthday.

Mako and Bolin's newly-discovered network of relatives was enormous; the ones they had met in Ba Sing Se comprised only a small portion of the total. And while he didn't want to be ungrateful after all those years of only having his brother, certain cousins had quirks that were starting to wear on Mako by the end. To be fair, the vast majority of the relatives were easy to get along with. But the obnoxious ones were _really_ obnoxious.

Jiao considered herself to be a talented storyteller, when in fact she was not. Peng tended to imbibe in sake a little too much, and spoke very loudly about his displeasure that the United Republic had a female president whenever he did so. Kun, who was a decent guy otherwise, blew his nose on his napkin at every single meal. And on and on it went.

Also, there were children _everywhere_. This would not be so bad if they didn't all scream bloody murder while playing. What was more, their family tended to produce more male than female children, so the stench cloud was almost visible.

It was getting to the point where Mako was actually looking forward to all the paperwork that would be awaiting him on his return to the office.

Bolin, on the other hand, shone at this kind of thing. And he'd managed to convince Eska to bring Kinalik so they could be in the big group photograph that was virtually mandatory for any reunion.

"You think Grandma will mind that Eska's not the chieftain anymore?" Bolin had asked. The twins' abdication had come as a shock to them, but not really a surprise.

"Why would she? She's still crazy about Wu," Mako had pointed out. "Besides, Eska's the daughter of a former chieftain, so that makes her a princess no matter what she does."

Speaking of which, it was about time to go collect their special guests. He found Bolin kicking a ball around the lawn with a group of boys. Opal was among the spectators.

"Hey! Bolin! Time to head off," he told his brother.

"Oh! That's right! I almost forgot," Bolin said. Then, addressing the children, "Let's call it a draw, okay?" And to Opal, "I have to leave now! I'll see you in a bit."

They drove to Asami's house in Mako's car. He had even bought a booster seat for Kinalik for the occasion-black with small white dots. (Which had led to a bit of an embarrassing moment at the baby supply store when the pretty checkout lady wanted to know if it was for his kid, but whatever.)

Eska and Kinalik, back in their Water Tribe garb, were waiting for them at the gate.

"BOLIN!" Kinalik shouted. Her face lit up like it was her birthday and the Glacier Spirit Festival rolled into one.

"KIIIIII!" Bolin said just as loudly as he picked her up by the waist and twirled her around.

"Do it again!" Kinalik commanded.

"Maybe later…we need to get going right now," Bolin told her. "Oh yeah. This is your Uncle Mako."

Kinalik said nothing.

"Sorry about that, bro. She's a little…"

"Shy, yeah, I know," Mako finished. "Let's just get her into the car. I bet she's never ridden in a police car before, huh? And she gets to ride in the front!"

Kinalik, however, seemed more interested in the booster seat than the car.

"This has a lot of dots," she observed.

"Yeah…I guess it does," Mako answered as he was buckling her in.

"Are there a thousand?"

"I dunno. Maybe. Are you two buckled up back there? Good."

And off they went. It was getting close to rush hour, and Mako's brow furrowed as he concentrated on the traffic.

"Is your brother always this melancholy?" he heard Eska ask.

"I. Am not. Melancholy!" Mako grumbled.

"Melon…what? What do melons have to do with anything?" Bolin sounded lost.

"You are in dire need of expanding your vernacular, ex-boyfriend."

"Wait, what? I don't even have a vernacular!"

Eska made a very put-upon sigh.

"What do you think that word even means, Bolin?" she inquired.

"Uh…lady parts?"

There were a few seconds of silence from Eska's end; presumably because she was staring at Bolin in disbelief.

"I believe that you are thinking of _vulva_ ," she finally said slowly, as if Bolin were Kinalik's age. " _Vernacular_ means everyday language."

"Well, excuuuuse me, Princess!" Bolin shot back, a bit uncharacteristically irritated for him.

"Don't make me turn this car around, kids," Mako warned, only half-joking. "Seriously, your child is better behaved than you two are."

Indeed, Kinalik had been spending the entire ride so far attempting to count the dots on her seat. Somewhat to Mako's surprise, she'd turned out to be all right, as far as kids went.

"At any rate, I believe I have figured out the source of your melancholic demeanor. You are simply jealous because your younger brother has successfully procreated before you did," Eska said. She possibly had a note of triumph in her voice, although with her it was hard to tell.

"That is not true!" snapped Mako. Or was it? Thankfully, Bolin jumped in to change the subject.

"So, moving right along! Is there anything you wanted to know about our family, Eska?"

"Hm, yes. I believe I would like an explanation of your familial hierarchy."

"Well, I dunno if you could call it a hierarchy," Mako said. "Grandma had thirteen kids, nine boys and four girls, and our dad was the very youngest. And the next-youngest was four or five years older than him; I can't remember exactly when all his siblings were born. So I guess you could say that he was a little spoiled; maybe even her favorite child. But then he had this big falling-out with our grandpa, and moved to Republic City as soon as he turned eighteen. We didn't know about any of our other relatives until a few years ago."

"I see. And are you her youngest grandchildren?"

"Uh…I think there are a few who are still in their teens. Most of them are a lot older, though. A couple of the oldest cousins are actually grandparents themselves."

"And are you also your grandmother's favorites?"

Mako said, "Nah," almost at the same time that Bolin said, "Mako is."

"It appears that you hold a lofty position among your clan. I would advise that you take advantage of this to the fullest," Eska opined.

"Yeah, sure, whatever you say."

He didn't have much time to ponder this, since they had arrived at the new house that Asami had bought for Grandma and the various relatives who lived with her.

Almost as soon as they got out of the car, a male cousin even younger than Kinalik ran past them completely naked.

"She has a weird tinkle!" Kinalik shouted. While pointing. Loudly enough that everyone in the vicinity turned to stare at them. Mako wished that the earth would be so kind as to swallow him whole.

What was it with that subject matter today, anyway? Bolin turned to look at him for guidance.

"Nope. Not my problem," Mako told him, feigning nonchalance.

"Uh…right. Kinalik, that's because _he_ is a boy. Boys have boy parts. Girls have girl parts."

"Your worldview is excessively simplistic, Bolin. Just like your vernacular," Eska huffed as she grabbed Kinalik's hand and breezed past them.

"Now what's she mad about?" Bolin asked.

"Forget it, bro. We should find Grandma before someone declares war on those two."

As Mako suspected, Grandma was sitting on the porch in her favorite chair.

"So, uh, Grandma, we brought some special guests for you," he informed her by way of greeting. "Come on over, you two."

As Eska and Kinalik walked forward, the look on Grandma's face changed from curious, to the quick double-take that anyone who knew Bolin did when they saw Kinalik, to something that made all of the day's awkwardness worth it.

"What a darling little thing!" she exclaimed. "And she has the family nose! Come here to your great-grandma!"

Surprisingly, Kinalik did, and even allowed herself to be kissed. Then Grandma slowly rose out of her chair and bowed to Eska as low as her arthritic back would allow.

"Your Highness. I am honored by your presence," she murmured.

" _Finally_ someone here knows how to treat royalty properly!" Eska said.

"I heard about your abdication on the radio," Grandma went on. "So unfortunate! I saw photographs of you while you were ruling, though, and you and your brother always looked sad to me, so maybe it was for the better. And I had heard that you had a child, but I could never have imagined that she would turn out to be my great-granddaughter! How exactly did you and Bolin meet?"

"Uh…" was all Bolin could say.

"It is a long story. And not always a pleasant one," Eska explained.

"I see. I won't pry. The past is in the past, that's what I always say. By the way, did you know that I was also a twin? Except my twin was a sister. Her name was Jin. She went on a date once with Lord Zuko! Although she didn't know who he was until later."

Eska looked genuinely intrigued.

"I did not know that. And I have done extensive reading on that royal family myself," she stated. "I take it that you were envious of her when you discovered his lineage?"

"Well, I wouldn't say that," Grandma replied. "I was already engaged to Bohai at the time. But I suppose it was the start of my interest in royalty."

"There you guys are!" Opal said as she ran up to them. "Just wanted to let you know that the photographer arrived and is setting up."

"Well, then, I suppose we should get ourselves over there, shouldn't we?" Grandma said. And off she went, with Bolin helping her down the stairs.

Eska, however, hung back.

"You may take Kinalik," she told Opal. "I am not certain that I have a place in this photograph."

"Why wouldn't you?" Opal asked.

"I do not have blood ties to this family as she does."

"I'm going to be in there too! And I'm not related to them either."

"Yes…but…I do not want to usurp your rightful place," Eska confessed.

"Look, if it makes you feel any better, think of it as doing a favor for Grandma, okay?" Mako cut in.

"I suppose…" Eska said.

"You guys coming or what?" Bolin hollered at them. Apparently, he had gotten all the way to the photo location and had gotten Grandma situated before he realized that the others hadn't followed him.

"Yeah, we'll be right there," Mako answered.

In the end, they decided that Opal would stand to one side of Bolin and Eska would stand at the other side, and that Bolin would hold Kinalik. The photography session was relatively uneventful, except that various children kept wandering away prematurely.

After the photographer had snapped what seemed like a hundred pictures, it was time for the family's final meal together, which had been set up buffet-style in the sprawling backyard. Mako almost immediately lost everyone in the crowd. He was chewing on a sandwich and trying to search for Eska and Kinalik as casually as possible when he was waylaid by Jiao and her five-year-old daughter.

"Mako! There you are!" Jiao exclaimed.

Naturally, it would be rude for Mako to talk with his mouth full, so he was pretty much trapped there as Jiao launched into yet another one of her nonsensical stories.

"So last week, I was out shopping, right? And Xiang said …"

Mako had no idea who this Xiang was, and he didn't care to find out. He made noncommittal noises as his scanning of the crowd intensified. Finally, he located Kinalik. She was sitting on the grass several feet away, absorbed in stripping the seeds off of the new grass shoots.

"Kinalik! Why aren't you with Bolin or Eska?" he asked once Jiao had finally reached a lull in her story.

"I left," was the only explanation she offered.

"Well, come with me so we can get you something to eat, okay?"

Kinalik looked unhappy to leave her little seed-harvesting operation, yet the promise of food seemed to tempt her. She was standing up when Jiao's daughter ran in front of her.

"Hi! I'm Lan! Let's play!" she said. Kinalik shrank away from her. Jiao just stood there stupidly, seemingly unaware of Kinalik's body language.

"Lan loves making friends!" was all she said.

"I don't think that's such a good idea…" Mako said. But before he could reach her, everything happened at once.

"Come on! I SAID LET'S PLAY!" Lan shrieked as she grabbed Kinalik's arm. There was a scream, a loud cracking sound and a cloud of dust, and another scream.

When the dust settled, Mako found Kinalik cowering behind a wall of rock that was about three feet high and slightly longer. Lan was bawling on the other side of it, but appeared unhurt.

"How dare your child hurt my darling?!" Jiao shouted at him. Mako finally lost his cool.

"First off, she's not my child. Secondly, your child isn't hurt. And thirdly, maybe your 'darling' should mind her own business!"

Jiao made an offended gasp as Bolin, Opal, and Eska ran up.

"Hey, what's going on? We heard this awful noise!" Bolin said.

All Mako could think to say was, "Hey Eska, did you know that Kinalik can earthbend?"


	7. In Which Stuff Gets Real

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Starting this chapter, many chapters will be split-PoV, because I didn't feel that there was any other way to get through all of the plot that needed to be gotten through. I do admit to worrying that I'm writing Opal and Eska as being too nice to each other. I read another fic where they met and Opal really let Eska have it. I didn't think that it was necessarily bad to write it like that, but it makes me wonder if I should have written Opal as less forgiving at first. Oh well...can't change it now.

"Yes, we did, in fact," Eska said without missing a beat. "That is the entire reason that we left our home in the first place."

"How about we go discuss this somewhere more private?" Mako asked, eyeing the gathering crowd.

Meanwhile, Bolin was saying, "Sorry…sorry…" with a nervous grin as he pushed the slab of rock back into the ground.

Opal's heart ached for Kinalik, who looked utterly miserable and not at all like she had intended any harm. She made a shushing sound as she gathered the weeping child to her chest.

"I'll bet that was scary, wasn't it?" she asked. Kinalik nodded. Meanwhile, Jiao had stalked off with her child, and Bolin's grandma had finally shown up.

"We had a bit of an altercation," Mako explained to her. "Sorry about the lawn."

"Oh pooh, who cares about the lawn?" the old woman said as she waved her hand in dismissal. "We have another earthbender in the family! That's always cause to celebrate."

"Maybe…celebrate later? We have some things to work out," Bolin told her. Opal handed Kinalik over to him while she hurriedly piled as many different foods from the buffet as would fit on a paper plate, in the hopes that the child would find some of them appetizing when she was ready to eat.

The five of them squeezed into Mako's car for the drive home. Opal, not wanting to make the situation any more tense than it already was, volunteered to take the middle seat in the back. They rode to the Sato estate in silence. The only positive was that Kinalik eventually stopped crying.

"There you are!" Korra greeted them as they opened the front door. The smile slid off her face as she saw the mood of the group.

"We need to talk," is all that Mako said.

Once situated in the living room, Eska, reunited with her twin, revealed the whole story at last.

"We had been walking in the courtyard at our palace," she explained. "Kinalik sneezed, and a clay vase some distance away shattered. There were many witnesses, and all of them could grasp what this meant. They may have been able at some point to overlook her illegitimacy and her mixed heritage had she been a waterbender or nonbender, but an earthbender was one thing too many. You should have…I mean, had you been present to see their faces, you would understand our actions."

"We had to choose between our duty to our country or her safety," Desna added. "As you are aware, we chose the latter."

"Did you know about this?" Mako asked Korra.

"Yes, I did. And I agreed with them that abdication would be the best option with regards to Kinalik," Korra answered. "But bending a whole wall? I didn't make my first accidental wall until I was almost six."

"Does that indicate that Kinalik is an unusually powerful earthbender?" Eska inquired.

"I think so, yes. She could potentially be another prodigy like Toph Beifong. I wasn't prepared for this. I was willing to do some basic lessons with her in a few weeks once you were firmly established here, but.." –Korra looked the twins square in the eye–"Now we don't have the luxury of waiting. She doesn't need to learn earthbending so much as she needs to learn how to restrain it. If she loses control of her emotions again, she could injure herself. Or worse. And I'm not completely sure I'm a good enough teacher to handle that."

"Then what do you propose we do?" Desna asked.

An idea had been building in Opal's head during this conversation, and she decided to speak up.

"I think we should take her to Zaofu," she ventured. "Eska, Desna, that's where I grew up. I was going to go there for my birthday in a few weeks anyway; I'll just tell Mom we're coming early. They'd be better equipped for her there."

"I am not familiar with this Zaofu. Nevertheless, if Opal thinks it is the best option…then she's probably right," Eska said. Everyone, including Desna, turned to look at her.

"Why is every person here making prolonged ocular contact with me?" she asked. "I was simply stating the truth."

"You never say that anyone else is right," Bolin whispered in an awed voice.

Opal blushed in spite of herself, as she knew that she was all too prone to doing.

"Zaofu is in the far southwest corner of the continent," she explained. "Not far from Kyoshi Island, actually. It's a pretty isolated place; it can really only be reached by air. Most of the population are earthbenders, and most of those can also metalbend. My mom founded the city and runs it. I think she would be an ideal candidate for a teacher."

"And what about Kinalik's difficulties? Does your mother have experience with those?" Desna asked.

"She does. I have a brother with the same issues."

"There is a slight problem," Eska said. "Desna and I have been having trouble gaining access to the personal funds we inherited upon our father's demise, as well as the remainder of our belongings. Our former advisors want to make the process as difficult as possible. It is unknown how long it will take to get this problem straightened out. But if you truly think that staying any longer here would put Kinalik in danger, than there is no choice in the matter. Opal, you and Bolin must take her there ahead of us."

"Are you sure? We could try to wait a few days," Korra put in.

"No. Even a small risk is excessive." Eska stood up and walked over to Opal. Opal reminded herself to not be too offended if Eska brought up the dolphin piranhas again. But all she said was, "I know you will care for her as if she were your own."

"Of course," Opal replied.

\---------------------------------------------------------------------------

As soon as Opal and Bolin returned to their apartment, Opal made some phone calls. The first one was to let Tenzin know that she'd be gone for a while, and then she called her mother and explained the convoluted situation.

"All right, let's see if I understand this," Mom said. "You're bringing Bolin's ex's special-needs child, whose existence you weren't even aware of until a couple of weeks ago, over here so she can learn how to control her earthbending? _And_ said ex just so happens to be royalty?"

"Uh…yeah, that's about it."

"Hm. Well, of course, you're always welcome to visit, and maybe it's for the best if you come for an extended stay. It might cheer Baatar up. You two were always close."

Opal groaned.

"Don't tell me he's still…"

"Yep. He hasn't left the house in almost a month, and it's all we can do to get him to come out of his room. He's been like this for a year now, and to be honest I don't know what would help him. Or if he'll ever be his old self again."

Opal's heart felt heavy. She hadn't heard any updates about her older brother for a few months, so she had assumed that no news was good news.

"I'll see if I can help. No promises," she warned.

"It's all right. We don't expect you to work miracles."

"Okay…well, I guess I'll be seeing you all in a couple of days," she said.

"We'll be looking forward to your arrival, sweetie. Bye."

"Bye."

After Opal hung up the phone, she and Bolin spent the rest of the day packing their things. This was complicated by Pabu thinking that the open suitcases were a great place to nap, but they managed.

"I think that should about do it!" Bolin said brightly as they checked the contents a final time.

"Did you remember your toothbrush?" Opal asked.

"Uh…I think so."

"If you're not sure, then go check."

He checked. As it turned out, he had not remembered it.

"There! _Now_ that's everything!" he exclaimed. To show off, he picked up both suitcases in one hand and lugged them over to the front door.

"You're so strong," Opal murmured as she pretended to swoon.

"Do you feel up to giving me a little reward?" Bolin asked as he made what he presumably thought was a seductive face and waggled his fingers.

One of the things Opal loved about Bolin was how he could make her laugh, and this time was no exception.

"Oh, knock it off, you rascal!" she pretended to scold. "But yeah, actually, that sounds nice. We'd better make sure we enjoy it, though. With a kid around, it might be a while before we can do it again."

And enjoy it they did.

\---------------------------------------------------------------------------

They were at the airfield bright and early the next morning, with Pabu in his usual place of honor on Bolin's shoulders. Opal was still a little sore, but in a good way.

Eska and Desna met them at Asami's airship. Desna was carrying Kinalik, who looked to still be mostly asleep. Eska handed over the travel bag containing Kinalik's belongings, as well as a list of her preferred foods.

"Kinalik, we must bid you farewell," Eska told her. "You will be cared for by Bolin and Opal for the time being, and will be transported on this flying contraption as we previously discussed. We will reunite with you as soon as possible."

Opal wasn't sure how well the small child understood this. At any rate, Kinalik had no objections about being transferred into Bolin's arms, and appeared to doze off again within seconds. They lay her on a bed in the room next to the one in which they would sleep that night. She continued to nap as the airship took off, and through the rest of the morning.

Bolin and Opal were sitting down to lunch in the galley when Kinalik wandered in. She was rubbing sleep out of her eyes.

"Whazzat?" she asked while pointing.

Opal wasn't sure to what Kinalik was referring, but Bolin said, "Oh, you mean him? This is Pabu. It's kind of weird that you haven't had the chance to meet him until now; usually he goes everywhere with me. Pabu, go say hi."

Pabu obediently leapt down and scurried over. He sniffed Kinalik's hand, and the girl tentatively stroked his head.

"He's a fire ferret," Bolin added.

"Fire?" Kinalik squeaked as she instantly yanked her hand away.

"It's okay to touch him. He's only called that because his fur looks like fire," Opal assured her.

Bolin looked ashamed that he hadn't thought to qualify his statement with those words, and chimed in, "Yeah…what she said."

By the time lunch was over, Kinalik had gotten over her initial fear. Pabu, docile as always, let her pet and play with him as she pleased. Opal was worried at first that Kinalik might accidentally harm the fire ferret in her enthusiasm, but thankfully she didn't appear to be the type of kid who played rough.

She remained occupied with Pabu almost until dinnertime. It was while they were watching her that Bolin brought up Kinalik's pronoun confusion.

"I still don't get why Eska got so annoyed at me," he said.

"Well, some people who are assigned male at birth turn out to actually be female, and vice versa," Opal told him.

"Oh yeah. Forgot about that. The streets don't exactly teach much about the finer points of gender identity."

"Lots of places don't; I guess I just got lucky that Zaofu does," Opal mused. "And she should learn. But we should probably wait until she can tell the difference between 'he' and 'she' before introducing anything else."

They commenced doing this after dinner. Kinalik proved to be both a quick and eager learner, and by the end of the session could use the correct pronoun about half the time. At the very least, it helped keep her distracted for a while longer. It wasn't until they were putting her to bed that she asked the question that they had been dreading.

"Where's Mama?"

They explained to her again that Eska and Desna couldn't be with them at the moment. Kinalik was not mollified.

" _I want Mama_!" she insisted. Opal suspected that only the presence of Bolin that kept her from having a total meltdown.

"How about we move her into our room?" she asked. "She's probably never slept alone before in her life." She shot Bolin a look which she hoped said, _I warned you about the lack of sex_.

In the end, it took them moving the bedding and mattress into their bedroom, Pabu jumping up on the mattress to sleep with her, _and_ over an hour of Opal reciting the most boring airbending philosophy that she could think of before Kinalik nodded off.

\---------------------------------------------------------------------------

The next morning, they jumped back into pronoun practice immediately after breakfast. That, along with a chance discovery of a box of fabric scraps which Kinalik used to play dress-up with a compliant if somewhat grumpy-looking Pabu, was enough to occupy her until they arrived at Zaofu that afternoon.

Her parents were waiting at the airfield. Mom stretched out her arms, and Opal ran into them. She felt the stress ebb away as she held on tight. For this moment at least, she could pretend that she was a little girl again, whose problems all had an easy fix.

"I should never have been gone so long," she whispered. She hadn't had a chance to see them since Varrick and President Moon's wedding.

"Well, you're here now, and that's all that matters," Mom replied.

Finally, she let go; Dad needed his hug as well. After Opal could bring herself to let go of him too, and her parents had exchanged greetings with Bolin, she formally introduced Kinalik to them.

"Pleased to meet you, Kinalik," Mom said; she had never believed in baby talk. "I am Suyin, and this is my husband Baatar Senior. It appears that I will be giving you earthbending lessons."

True to form, Kinalik hid her face in her hands. However, she did appear to appreciate the monorail ride; she kept her body attached to the window the entire time.

"It's neat, isn't it?" Bolin said to her. "I did the same thing during my first ride on this."

Opal did notice that the dome shields had not yet been rebuilt. When she mentioned this, Mom grimaced and said, "We keep meaning to do it. But platinum is hard to come by, and we got behind schedule."

When they entered the house, she was immediately bowled over by Wei. That is, she _thought_ it was Wei.

"Welcome home, Big Sis!" he shouted.

"Hey, no fair! Let me join in on the fun!" Wing (?) said as he added himself to the dogpile.

"All right, you two, don't suffocate her!" Mom admonished as she helped Opal up. She was laughing nonetheless.

Opal knew better than to attempt to hug Huan; they exchanged waves as Mom yelled up the stairs, "Baatar, your sister's here!"

Soon footsteps were heard on the stairs; Opal looked up, only to stifle a gasp as her brother turned the corner of the landing and she saw the state of him.

He looked as if he hadn't gotten a decent night's sleep in months. His hair had grown out, as had his beard. And he had lost a significant amount of weight; Opal guessed around twenty pounds. Baatar froze as if reading her thoughts, and looked like he wanted nothing more than to run back to his room. So Opal made herself put on a smile, and said, "It's great to see you again!"

Baatar finally did come down the rest of the stairs and allow himself to be hugged, but seemed reluctant to return the embrace. For her part, Opal tried not to hug too tightly for fear of hurting him; he felt like little more than skin and bones.

"It's good to see you again, too," he said hesitantly, as if he hadn't used his voice in a while.

"Ok, everyone!" Mom exclaimed maybe a bit _too_ perkily as she re-entered the room; Opal hadn't seen her leave. "I spoke with Chef, and he says that dinner's almost ready! And Opal…he made your favorite."

Indeed, raw vegetable wraps were on the menu. Opal was thrilled. She had tried many times to replicate this dish at Air Temple Island, but had never been able to get it quite right.

Of course, her brothers could not fail to notice Kinalik.

"Is there something you'd like to tell us, Opal?" Wing (she knew it was him because their places at the table had name cards) asked slyly. He and Wei snickered.

"That is quite enough from you, Wing," Mom scolded. "I have already explained the situation to all of you. And Wei, elbows off the table, please."

Meanwhile, Opal caught herself up on all the goings-on that he'd missed. She listened to Dad's excited report about the new elevator that he was adding to the public library, and didn't zone out once the entire time, for which she was proud of herself.

"And what are _you_ working on, Huan?" she inquired once Dad was finished talking.

"I apologize, but that is classified information, Opal," he answered. She guessed that it might have something to do with her upcoming birthday, so she didn't pry.

Baatar remained silent throughout the entire meal except to ask Opal to pass the dipping sauce, and excused himself as soon as he was finished eating. She wondered if she had done something to offend him, but Wei told her, "Don't take it personally. It was a miracle that he showed up for dinner at all."

Mom made the shushing symbol, but didn't say that Wei was wrong. The rest of them resumed their meal, only for a crisis to start brewing once Mom noticed that Kinalik had eaten all of the rice out of her wrap and had left the vegetables untouched.

Opal cringed inwardly. She had forgotten to show Mom the list! Come to think of it, she wasn't even sure where that piece of paper was.

"Eat the rest of your food, Kinalik," Mom requested before Opal could say anything.

"No," Kinalik said.

"But vegetables are good for you! Don't you want to grow up big and strong?"

" _No_."

"Ah, maybe you should leave her alone for to..day…" Bolin trailed off as Mom ignored his and rose from her seat.

"How about just two bites?" Mom asked as she walked over to Kinalik's chair. "Here, I'll help you…"

Kinalik smacked her hand away.

"NO!" she shouted.

"Young lady! We do not _hit_! And we do not scream either!"

For a split second, Kinalik was shocked into silence by the reprimand. Then she took as big a breath as she could and _really_ screamed. Opal was stunned at how such a loud sound could have emerged from such a small body. Then, while everyone's ears were still ringing, Kinalik threw her plate at Mom. It landed on the floor with a crash, only narrowly missing its target.

Opal's hands flew up to her mouth, and she and Bolin exchanged nervous glances.

"All right, that is it. Timeout for you," Mom said, surprisingly calmly given the circumstances. "Bolin, if you will?"

"All right, Ki, we better do as she says," he told her as he lifted her up from the chair. Kinalik burst into angry tears and tried to attack him with hands, feet, teeth…anything. But he made sure to hold her so she couldn't reach him.

"Well, now I know how Mako felt," he grumbled as he hauled the screaming, red-faced child away.

Once he was gone, everyone stared at each other until Huan broke the silence.

"I like her! She has _spirit_!" he announced.

\---------------------------------------------------------------------------

"That child is spoiled rotten," Mom declared. She had made a quick retreat from the dining room after the table had been cleared, and Opal had found her sitting in her study.

"Yeah…I don't know what to say. I've never seen her like that before," she answered.

"I didn't think I was being unreasonable, do you?" Mom inquired. "I didn't touch her, I didn't make any sudden movements, and I tried not to raise my voice too much. Those things all helped when Huan was a kid."

"Keep in mind that she lived a pretty sheltered life until a few weeks ago…and she's never been this far away from her mom before. This is a lot for her to process, especially with her issues," Opal said. She sat down on the couch opposite from Mom and resisted the urge to play with the city model. She may have been an adult now, but Mom loved that model and there would still be hell to pay if anything on it broke. At least _that_ was something that didn't change.

"I will try to be more understanding. Still, she needs to learn manners." Mom paused for a few minutes as if in thought, then added, "But not tonight. And probably not tomorrow either."

Just then, Bolin burst into the room.

"Have either of you seen Kinalik?" he asked in a voice that was quite out of breath.

"We thought she was with you," Mom answered with narrowed eyes.

"She _was_. I put her in timeout and left to call Mako and tell him we got here safely, and when I went back to get her, she was gone!"

Mom facepalmed and sighed, "You were supposed to watch her to make sure she didn't do that."

"Well…well…it's not like I've put anyone in timeout before!"

"She couldn't have gotten far, right?" Opal interjected to prevent an argument from breaking out. She shuddered at the thought of Kinalik getting lost outside…or drowning in the courtyard pool.

"I doubt it," Mom answered quickly. "The doors leading outside were made to be childproof; she's not the first small child here who's tried to make a run for it. She has to be somewhere in this house."

"But this house is ginormous," Bolin pointed out.

"Then we have our work cut out for us, don't we? Start looking."

\---------------------------------------------------------------------------

Mean, mean, mean! Everyone here was _mean_! Kinalik had learned that word when she had watched Rohan playing, and she liked it. She had thought that Bolin was nice, but it was all a lie.

Why did she have to be here? She wanted to be in her old home, with her mamas, where no one had ever made her eat icky food, and no one wore those scary necklaces.

Tears were running down her face and making her skin all itchy and sting-y. She had no idea where she was anymore; all the hallways looked the same in this house. She'd been running and running and running, and couldn't run anymore. She had to find a place to hide quick quick before they found her!

Kinalik had reached the end of the hallway, so she opened the door there and rushed in.

The room wasn't empty. A man was sitting at a desk.

"Mom, I _told_ you not to…" she–no, _he_ , Opal had told her that men were he–said. Then he looked.

"You're not my mom!" he exclaimed. Kinalik had remembered that Mean Suyin had told her what this man's name was, but she had forgotten already. There were many many names.

"Your name is Kinalik, right? I'm Baatar," the he said.

That was right. There were two men here with that name. It was stupid, which was another Rohan word.

Kinalik didn't say anything. There was also a bed in this room, and she crawled under it and curled into a tiny tiny ball.

"What're you doing down there, huh?" Baatar asked as he got down on his knees and looked at her. His voice was maybe a tiny little bit scary, but it wasn't loud. And he wasn't wearing a necklace.

"Hiding," Kinalik told him.

Baatar laughed. Kinalik didn't see what was funny.

"Aren't we all," he said. "Aren't we all."

After that, he got back up and went back to his desk. It sounded like he was drawing something. Kinalik couldn't see what from here. Things were quiet for a while, but she started thinking about her mamas, which made her start crying again.

"Hey now, what's wrong? Do you want to talk about it?" Baatar asked as he scooted his chair over toward her.

So she tried to tell him about how mean Suyin and Bolin were. It was hard because she was crying.

"I see," said Baatar. "Don't you want to lie on the bed? It's a lot more comfy than that old floor."

"Noooooo."

"All right, then. How about this?" He took the blanket and pillow off the bed and pushed them over to her.

"Okay." The floor was starting to hurt her head. And with the blanket, she could be even hidier.

She arranged the blanket so it covered her entire body, and listened to the scribble of Baatar's pencil. Then she must have fallen asleep, because the next thing she knew, Baatar was talking to someone else. Kinalik turned to look, but all she could see was feet.

"…would have found her eventually," Baatar was saying.

"We were looking for her for _over an hour_. Couldn't you have said something?" The other person asked. It was Bolin.

"She was very upset. I didn't want to disturb her. I know completely well how Mother can get. She wants to be seen as the 'cool mom,' but it doesn't always work out like that."

"Well, uh, anyway, is she calmer now?" Bolin bent to look. Kinalik quickly closed her eyes again, but not quickly enough.

"It's all right," he said to her. "You're not in any more trouble for tonight. Opal and I made up a nice bed for you in our room. Oh, and Pabu will be there too."

Kinalik decided that she was too tired to keep hiding. And her body ached from lying on the floor. So she crawled out and allowed Bolin to pick her up.

Bolin started to carry her out of the room, but he paused at the doorway.

"You're going to kill yourself if you keep this up," he said.

"Maybe that's the point," Baatar answered.

Kinalik didn't understand, but was too tired to worry about it. She was asleep again even before she got to her new bed.


	8. In Which Kinalik Learns Some Manners

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I just posted this fic's climactic scene (as it were) on ff.net yesterday! Heh heh.
> 
> For this chapter, though, I have a confession to make.
> 
> ...I don't care for Suyin. But rather than just bashing her, I decided to use Eska as sort of an exploration of what bugs me about her, while still attempting to write her as a good person overall.

"MAMA! _MAMA_!"

Bolin had jumped out of bed and gotten halfway across the room before his brain even registered that he was awake. It was just as well, since Opal had taken care of this last night.

"Hey now, it's okay…it was just another bad dream," he reassured Kinalik in a voice that was still slightly sleep-slurred.

"Bad guys," Kinalik croaked.

"Nope, no bad guys here. Just a dream."

"Did she wet the bed?" Opal asked. Bolin couldn't smell anything, but he turned on the bedside lamp to make sure.

"Not this time," he confirmed.

"Lucky you," was all Opal said. Indeed, Bolin would not have to bathe Kinalik and change the bedding as Opal had done, but there was still the business of calming her down. He swaddled her in the bed's topmost blanket, which had seemed to help last time, and paced around the room with the trembling child while humming tunelessly. After around twenty minutes of this, he finally felt her muscles start to relax.

"Feeling better now?" he asked.

"M-hm."

He placed her back on the bed, loosening the blanket but keeping it wrapped around her.

"Eska and Desna are going to be back any day now," he told Kinalik as she started to nod off. "Who knows? Maybe it'll even be tomorrow!"

 _Please let it be tomorrow_ , he thought. _Please_?

\---------------------------------------------------------------------------

In fact, it was another three days before the twins arrived. However, they had arrived earlier than they had anticipated. It was amazing how quickly one's financial problems could be solved when one's cousin was the Avatar…and when one's cousin's partner was an influential woman in her own right.

Eska adjusted the little travel hat that had been purchased for this occasion so it was at exactly the right jaunty angle as she peered down at Zaofu from the monorail. It was very…green. And silver. And not much else. Thankfully, the monotony was broken a little bit by a brook that wound around and through the city.

The layout of the city was bizarre as well. The Northern Water Tribe had the palace as the central focus of their settlement, and the residences of their subjects surrounded it in a more or less symmetrical manner. Republic City had the downtown area, which hugged the coast, and then the suburbs on the three sides which were not water. Zaofu, however, had its buildings arranged into several different sectors which seemed arbitrarily placed for the most part, although the largest one was in the center. Honestly, the first thought that popped into her head was that it looked like a breakout of acne. She snorted. Desna looked at her curiously, and she explained.

"Ah," he said. "I was wondering what would happen if someone had an appointment somewhere, but accidentally went to the incorrect area of the city. This monorail appears to be the only method of transportation between sectors, and it is not particularly speedy. One only hopes that people here are forgiving of tardiness."

"That is a valid concern," Eska stated. She felt somewhat ashamed that his thoughts had been more mature than hers.

Opal's family appeared to have one "pimple" entirely to themselves. Their house was not nearly as impressive as the palace; it was closer to the dimensions of Asami's mansion. However, there was a large courtyard whose design was reminiscent of the one with which she and Desna had grown up. It had the same stark beauty; however, while the one up North was carved out of ice, this one was sculpted out of metal. Eska also noticed with some relief that the brook ran through here as well, so she would not be entirely cut off from her bending.

As they stepped off the monorail, Eska was very aware of the little _clank_ sound that her feet made with every step on the courtyard floor, and hoped that she wouldn't slip on the highly polished surface. She began to find it difficult to breathe due to anxiety. Would they be welcome here, or just fish out of water, so to speak?

It took them some time to traverse the grounds. Finally, as they were approaching the house, Eska saw the front door open and a small figure run out at top speed. Kinalik did not slow down as she plowed into Eska's legs and held on for dear life. For a terrifying instant, Eska's feet skidded, yet she managed to remain standing. It was not like Kinalik to seek out full-body contact; she must have been truly distraught. Eska felt guilt rising like bile in the back of her throat.

"It is all right," she told the child as she stroked her hair. "We are reunited now, and Desna and I do not plan to leave you again."

"Suyin's _meeeaaaan_!" her daughter wailed. Presumably, this was Opal's mother's name.

"I will take care of it," Eska assured her, hoping that she sounded more certain of herself than she felt. "Now go and greet Desna as well before you cut off the circulation in my lower extremities."

Kinalik obediently walked over to her uncle and hugged him just as tightly. The door opened again, and Bolin and Opal also walked out to greet them.

"You're finally here!" Bolin called out. He ran over, knelt at Eska's feet, and grabbed her hands.

"We were lost without you," he explained. "Mako was right; childcare is _haaard_!" He pouted and gazed up at her with the most pathetic polar bear dog eyes.

"Oh, you feeble turtle duck. It cannot have been that difficult," Eska said.

"Uh, yeah, about that…" said Opal. "Mom wanted to meet with you as soon as you got here, to see if we could figure some things out. And she said you should bring Kinalik."

Well, this confrontation was going to occur sooner than Eska had suspected. It was better to get it over with, she supposed.

"Come with me," she told her daughter. Kinalik detached herself from Desna and held her arms up to be held.

"I cannot pick you up anymore because of my back," Eska told her. "You may hold my hand instead."

Opal guided them to Suyin's study. The woman in question was not unpleasant-looking, although she did have a slight air of smugness about her. She was wearing an almost identical outfit to Opal: calf-length tunic, ankle-length sleeveless coat, baggy trousers, and a rather ridiculous-looking metal object around her neck that resembled a cravat. Come to think of it, this attire was not dissimilar to the clothing she had seen on this city's inhabitants during the monorail ride. Did _everyone_ here wear the same thing? And people said that she and Desna were creepy!

Kinalik hid behind Eska's legs, and Eska felt a stab of anger at this woman for causing her daughter to react this way.

"Have you been inflicting corporal punishment on my daughter?" she demanded. She felt a snide sort of victory as Suyin blinked and looked taken-aback.

"No, no, of course not! We don't believe in that sort of punishment here in Zaofu. All I did was put her in timeout when she wouldn't eat her vegetables," Suyin replied.

Eska's anger melted away, to be replaced by confusion.

"What is a timeout?" she asked.

Suyin gaped at her, and said, "You must be joking. Right?"

"I do not tell lies," Eska replied coldly as she felt her hands clench into fists.

"I wasn't saying that you were. Still…how did your parents discipline you growing up if they didn't use timeouts?"

"My father would simply ignore me for the rest of the day. My mother would berate me harshly; I imagine she wanted to utilize corporal punishment, but she was too disabled to do so. The servants were not allowed to discipline me, so they would simply tattle on me…usually to my mother."

"I see," Suyin said slowly as she sat down. "A timeout is exactly what it sounds like. The child is taken away to a quiet place so that he or she can calm down, and is supposed to sit there for a certain amount of time; usually around three or four minutes for a child of her age."

"That does not sound unreasonable," Eska admitted.

"The problem with Kinalik is that she absolutely refuses to stay in the place we chose for her," Suyin explained. "If anyone tries to make her stay put, she has a meltdown. What is more, she will not allow anybody near her except for Bolin, Opal, and my oldest son; I certainly haven't been able to begin lessons with her. I feel that there is a problem other than the vegetables here, but–excuse my language–I'm damned if I know what it is!" She threw her hands up. "We were hoping that you could shed some light on the issue."

"Did you attempt to _ask_ her?" Eska inquired.

"We did. She won't say a thing."

"She is behind in speech development."

"Shouldn't she practice using her words, then?"

Perhaps Suyin had a point.

"I shall see if I can extract any information from her," was all Eska said. "Kinalik, would you mind coming out of hiding and relate exactly what it is that so terrifies you about this woman?"

Kinalik shuffled out from behind Eska and drew a shaking finger across the front of her neck.

"That metallic object?" Eska asked. Kinalik nodded and buried her face in her hands.

"My _collar_? That's it?" Suyin sounded incredulous.

"Ugh…I should have known," Eska said. "In our palace, we have many weapons hanging from the walls in display. Several months ago, Kinalik touched one of them before her attendant could stop her, and cut her finger. It was not a bad injury, yet it frightened her nonetheless. I suppose that she thinks that those metal pieces are knives."

"Well, why didn't she say so?!"

"She thought that you were aware of her fear and wearing that collar solely to intimidate her. It is obvious when one stops to think about it for a few seconds."

"At least it has an easy fix," Suyin muttered. She took the collar off and asked Kinalik, "There. Is that better?"

Kinalik still looked unsure. Nevertheless, she removed her hands from her face.

"All right. No collars, then. I will be sure to tell my family and all of the servants," Suyin said briskly. "Now what about the vegetables? Do you have any idea why she won't touch those?"

"We do not have much native vegetation at the North Pole," Eska stated. "Except for kelp and sea prunes. And I do not approve of using the latter except as a torture device." She shuddered at the memories of being forced to eat those horrible, slimy things as a child. Once she had ascended the throne, she had flatly refused to ever consume them again. They did have imported produce, but since Water Tribe custom was generally to boil any vegetable matter to mush, Eska didn't have much tolerance for those either.

"I…I did not take that into account," Suyin confessed. "My apologies. All of my children have been eating a wide array of vegetables since they were babies."

 _Well, congratulations to them_ , Eska thought scathingly, although she managed not to say it. Instead, she carefully stated, "If I had known that she would have such a difficult time here, and that it would take less than a week for us to get our affairs in order, than I most likely would not have sent her ahead. I was trying to protect her, and it appears that it was all for nothing."

"I wouldn't say it was for _nothing_ ," Suyin answered with a hint of some sort of emotion in her voice. (Annoyance? Surprise? Incredulity? Eska had never been good at distinguishing those subtleties.) "After all, she is unable to metalbend, so she was kept out of physical harm. But you know the saying…hindsight has perfect vision. Hopefully now I can start to reach her."

It appeared that Eska still had much to learn.

"All right. Show me the location of this 'timeout,'" she said.

\---------------------------------------------------------------------------

Meanwhile, Desna was slouched on one of the benches in the courtyard, chin in his hands. He let out a huff. Unlike Eska, he had no ties to this family whatsoever, and he felt extraneous. Even Kinalik, who had never before seemed to care or even know about any differences between the twins, seemed to prefer Eska since they had left the North. Sometimes it seemed like his only function was as a babysitter when Eska was unable to fulfill her childcare duties, although he felt horrible for even thinking that.

Perhaps he should return to Republic City to think things over. But what if Eska had one of her panic attacks and he wasn't there for her?

"Excuse me," someone said. "I have been standing here for two minutes and thirty-four seconds, and you didn't notice."

Desna's head shot up. A man who was around his age stood before him. He was around average height or maybe a little over, and had a slender frame, high cheekbones, and an impressive mane of hair that for some reason he had decided to shave on one side…

 _Stop looking at him_! he scolded himself. _You'll make him uncomfortable_!

"Yes?" he asked.

"Hello. My name is Huan," the other man said; it sounded as though these words had been rehearsed. "I'm working on a project for my sister's birthday…a fountain. My dad will help with the installation and the mechanical parts, but when I heard that waterbenders were coming to visit, I thought I would see if one of them could share their input. If you don't want to help, that's okay."

This Huan held a small metal cube in one hand, which he was quickly turning over and over while pressing various buttons and switches on it. His other arm pressed a sketchbook to his chest.

"Of course I will help," Desna said, after taking only the briefest moment to consider it. At least it would give him something to do.

"Oh, good!" Huan exclaimed. "Now I don't have to say the part about being sorry to bother you!"

He plunked down next to Desna, and placed the metal cube on the bench so he could hold the sketchbook in both hands.

"What's that?" Desna asked.

"Um…a sketchbook. Oh, you mean _that_? That's my fidget cube. I made it myself."

"Maybe I will commission you to make more of them," Desna stated. "I believe that my sister would find the concept enjoyable."

"Yeah, okay, cool."

"So what concepts have you come up with?" Desna inquired.

"Well, my style is usually bold lines and simple shapes. I have a whole section of the courtyard devoted to my art; I can show you it if you want. But anyway, I know that Opal likes pretty and delicate things, so I decided to try something new."

While Huan had been saying this, he had handed the sketchbook over to Desna, who had begun flipping through it.

"This one looks pleasing," Desna finally said, pointing to a tiered design decorated with metalwork flowers.

"Yes, that was the one I preferred as well," Huan answered. "It is also the most challenging one. But if you think it'll be worth it, I'll give it a try. Thank you for your input."

He stood up and walked away rather abruptly. Desna found himself disappointed. This Huan was a fascinating person, and Desna wanted to get to know him better.

\---------------------------------------------------------------------------

Suyin led Eska and Kinalik to a side flight of stairs.

"This is where you will be sent if you misbehave," Eska informed Kinalik. "When you are told to sit here, you must remain in this place until someone retrieves you. That is the rule."

Kinalik looked wary.

"Are you afraid that people will leave you here and forget you?" Eska asked. Her daughter nodded.

"They will not forget you," Eska assured her. "I will not allow it."

Suyin looked thoughtful.

"Now that I think about it, I did use an hourglass with my kids. I don't know where it is at the moment, but I could try to track it down if you like," she said.

"That may well be a beneficial arrangement," Eska answered.

"All right, I'll look into that. Right now, though, I'm going to have a chat with Chef; see if we can come up with a dinner that might be easier for Kinalik to eat."

And off she went. Eska was left to attempt to navigate the way back to the main area on her own, but she managed. She spent the remainder of the time before the evening meal reading to Kinalik; she had picked up some new picture books in Republic City before departing.

By the time that dinner was announced, the sun had almost set and both of them were so hungry that their stomachs were audibly growling. Eska thought that this meal had better be exquisite for making them wait this long.

As they walked into the dining room, Eska noted that the table had an odd shape. Instead of one long rectangle, it was composed of two parallel rectangular pieces with a perpendicular piece joining them at one end. It was easy for her to tell where Kinalik was to sit, for there was a booster seat installed at the far end of the right-hand rectangle. After getting the child situated, Eska sat in the seat next to hers.

Other people began filing in. Suyin arrived first, and sat in her place of honor in the center of the perpendicular part. Bolin and Opal were next.

"Mind if we sit next to you?" Opal asked Eska.

Eska was about to answer that this seat was reserved for Desna, but right then her brother came in and chose a seat on the opposite rectangle, next to a young man with a green streak in his hair. She felt a bit stung despite herself.

"There is no longer any compelling reason for you not to do so," she finally replied to Opal.

There was also a pair of what appeared to be identical twins, who started whispering to each other when they saw Desna and his companion, and shook hands before taking their seats. Finally, a rumpled-looking man who could only be Suyin's husband walked in and bent to say something into Suyin's ear. The latter got a consternated look on her face.

"Apologies to my guests," Suyin said once the man was finished speaking. "Unfortunately, Baatar Junior does not feel up to joining us tonight."

Was this the oldest son to whom Kinalik had grown so attached? Eska didn't have any more time to think about this, however, since their food had _finally_ arrived.

The chef announced the meal to be "slices of roast duck with carrots and teriyaki glaze, extra-sweet, served over noodles." He looked as though he considered the use of sweeteners to be beneath him. Or perhaps Eska only imagined that because she was annoyed at how he spent more time cutting green onions into fan shapes for a garnish and less time actually getting the food on the table in a timely manner.

"You must make an attempt to ingest those orange objects," she told Kinalik, who stabbed one with her fork (not having the manual dexterity to use chopsticks yet) and eyed it suspiciously.

To set an example, Eska ate one herself. She was surprised to discover that it was actually good; the sauce helped mask any inherent vegetable-ness. Kinalik continued to look unsure, but her hunger won out in the end. She placed it into her mouth, and chewed and swallowed without spitting any of it out.

"Whoo! That's my girl!" Bolin said. He started clapping, and Opal soon joined in. Soon, the entire table was applauding Kinalik, who seemed too intent on eating to really notice.

Eska actually finished her entire plate, which was not a stingy serving. She rarely had the appetite to do that even with food she liked. Perhaps there was something to this later dinner hour after all.

After dinner, Suyin showed the twins to their rooms…no sharing with Desna this time. Eska was perplexed when she realized where the room that she and Kinalik would use was located.

"This is directly adjacent to Bolin and Opal's room," Eska informed the older woman.

"And?" Suyin prompted.

"There are many vacant bedrooms. I doubt that this was a coincidental placement."

"Well…you'd be right."

Eska blinked.

"It's so Kinalik can go between rooms easily, of course!" Suyin continued. "Why else could it be? And don't worry...the walls are thick." She smiled in a suspiciously pleasant manner.

Eska doubted very much that this was the reason…or at least not the _only_ reason. Yet she was unable to identify what any other reasons might be. Was it simply to make her uncomfortable? What _was_ this woman's game? At any rate, for the moment she could only agree that it would indeed be convenient for Kinalik and let the matter drop.

\---------------------------------------------------------------------------

The next morning, Eska led Kinalik to the packed-earth training ground behind the house for her first lesson. Although she was still slightly unnerved by last night, she resolved to not let it show for her child's sake.

Kinalik balked when she saw Suyin standing at the center. Eska told her, "You must proceed; these lessons are necessary. I shall be sitting at the edge and watching for the entire time." She gave the girl a gentle nudge forward. Although Kinalik had to pause several times to check that Eska was still there, she eventually made it to the middle of the ring.

"Shall we begin?" Suyin asked. "Stand over there, facing me…that's good." She took a stick and drew a large character into the dirt between them.

"This is the character for 'earth,'" she explained. "Earth is the element of substance. Earthbending is about patience and waiting for the right time to use it. And it's my job to help you figure out how not to use it when you don't want to. I'll show you some basic forms, and then if we have time, we'll work on breathing exercises, okay?"

As the lesson started, Eska thought she saw something–or rather, some _one_ –standing at the window that was facing the ring. But when she looked up, the sun got in her eyes, and all she could discern was a shadowy figure quickly turning away.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh Suyin, you Slytherin, you.


	9. In Which Everyone Goes on a Picnic

Eight-one-two-three, nine-one-two-three, _ten_ -one-two-three!

Eska flopped back down on the floor and exhaled loudly. Her back exercises were done for the day. She roundly despised them, and did them only while alone in her room, with the door closed and locked. She did not want anyone to see her in such vulnerable and absurd contortions.

Other than that, she was in a good mood...so far as that went for her. Kinalik's lesson appeared to have gone smoothly yesterday. Her young age had necessitated breaks every ten minutes or so. However, while her attention _was_ focused, she had given it her all. And Kinalik had slept soundly that night.

Eska had gone down to breakfast that morning anticipating that the lessons would continue today, but Suyin had a surprise in store.

"It's such a beautiful day, why don't we all go for a picnic over by the waterfall?" she had proposed. Eska had seen several small waterfalls around the city on the monorail ride over, yet she thought that the one Suyin was talking about had to be the large one near the mountains. Eska was bad at estimating heights, but if she'd had to take a wild guess, she would have said it was a hundred feet tall…give or take twenty. She had wanted to get an up-close look at that thing from the beginning, so she had agreed.

Speaking of which…it was about time for her to join the others for their departure. She dressed in a blue tank top and matching loose-fitting pants that fell to mid-calf; Suyin had told her and Desna to pick comfortable clothes because there was a bit of a hike involved.

She met up with Desna in the hall and joined the group congregating in the living room (Kinalik had already been in that room playing). Suyin had commandeered the basket of food, and the twin boys had their hands full with various blankets and towels. As they were lining up to exit the front door, a soft voice came from behind them.

"May I join you?"

Eska's head turned at the same time Suyin's did. She saw Opal's mysterious oldest sibling standing towards the back of the room. Eska had caught a brief first glimpse of him at dinner last night, although she had been preoccupied with cutting Kinalik's elephant koi into bite-size pieces, so she hadn't thought much of him. Since then, Baatar Junior had trimmed his beard and shaved the other areas of his face. His hair, which was damp from presumably having just been washed, had been pulled back.

"Why, Baatar!" Suyin exclaimed, sounding pleasantly surprised, "Of course you can come! We packed plenty of food. It's great that you're up to getting out of the house today!"

Thus their newly-augmented group set off, Eska holding onto Kinalik's hand. She was towards the rear of the crowd, since she had to match a three-year-old's smaller steps. Baatar hung around the periphery as well. Apparently he had not been outside for quite some time, because he kept shielding his eyes even though there was some cloud cover. He also kept sneaking what he must have thought were furtive glances at Eska.

They took the monorail to the most distant sector, then it took a brisk uphill climb to reach their destination. Near the end, Bolin started lagging behind the main group with Eska, accompanied by his fire ferret. His limp was as pronounced as she had ever seen it.

"Do you think you could do your healing thing on my knee?" he asked. "It's kind of…really bothering me."

Kinalik had spotted a pebble on the path that took her fancy, and Eska used that as an opportunity for them to pause.

"Be warned that I am no professional. Nevertheless, I shall try my best," she told him. Then, "Kinalik, do not insert that rock into your oral cavity."

"But it's shiny!" Kinalik whined.

"She really likes licking the shinies, doesn't she?" Bolin mused.

"She does. The walls of our former home had many dents in them; it was most grievous to the maintenance crew. Now let us resume walking so we do not get too far behind. I believe that we are nearly there."

When the waterfall came into full view, Eska thought it had been worth the effort.

The waterfall was tall and narrow, hugging the bedrock closely. It emptied into a round and deep-blue plunge pool. Eska took off a shoe and tested the water temperature. Cold, but tolerable, at least for her. The roar of it soothed her, and it was loud enough that she could hear little of the other people's conversations. She would have to wait for a while to fully enjoy it, though. She had some healing to do.

They sat beside the plunge pool. Eska dunked her hands in the water to coat them, while Bolin rolled up his pant leg. She had to sternly reprimand herself not to blush at his leg hairs…or at the muscles. It was best to get this over with as quickly as possible and try not to look too hard, she thought.

"Has your discomfort diminished?" she asked after a few minutes.

"Yeah, I think so."

Eska noted a linear scar just below his knee; it looked surgical in nature. Kinalik was gazing at it as well, with wide eyes.

"How did you injure yourself?" she inquired, not able to hold her curiosity back any longer.

"Well, I was doing a probending match, and I was coming down from a jump, but my feet weren't as centered as I thought they were. I landed funny, and I felt this pop, you know? And I went down. It took me like ten minutes to get to the point where the docs could move me onto a stretcher. And the crowd went totally silent. I've only seen that happen one other time, where someone on the opposing team broke her leg and the bone was sticking through the skin…sorry," he cut himself off as he remembered that a three-year-old was listening too.

"If you do not wish to discuss it further, that is all right," Eska said.

"No, that's okay…I sort of want to talk about it. Anyway, the only time they go silent like that is when they know the player's career is over." He looked down.

"I offer my condolences."

"Thanks. So the doctors said that I tore my…whatchamacallit…ligament. The one in the front. Which is the worst one to tear for some reason. They did surgery to try to make a new one–that's where I got the scar–but it still bothers me. And I'm like…I don't know what to do with my life right now."

Eska identified strongly with that feeling.

"Well, enough about me…how's your back doing?" Bolin asked.

"Better. However, the exercises I must do are most dreadful. It makes me wish to travel back in time so I can locate the person who invented them and…I believe you know the routine by now."

"Yep. Freeze, and then dolphin piranhas. But I get you…I had to do them, too. Probably not the exact same ones, though."

It was cozy, the three of them sitting together like a family…well, they _were_ a family, but still. Eska felt her head start to lean into Bolin's arm, when…

"Lunch is ready!"

Eska shot up. What had she been _doing_? Bolin had Opal already! She should not interfere…regardless of what her continued feelings for him may be.

"We should probably join the others," she muttered as she stuffed her foot back into her shoe. Although Bolin looked at her strangely, he arose as well. Eska's spirits were lifted somewhat when they got to the meal that was spread out on the large blanket, and she noticed that the food included barbecue pork buns; a favorite of hers, but one that was not always easily obtainable in polar regions.

\---------------------------------------------------------------------------

After lunch, they all went their separate ways. Eska and Kinalik went back to the waterfall. Bolin and Opal took a towel for their own. Yet Desna was uncertain where he should go. He considered joining his sister, but she was gazing at the waterfall with an expression which indicated to him that she did not wish to be disturbed.

He noticed that Huan was unaccompanied, and made his way over there, trying to make as much noise as possible so as not to startle him.

"Is my presence acceptable to you?" he asked. Huan looked up from his sketchbook.

"Yeah, sure," he answered. "I was about done with this anyway. I was sketching plants for design ideas for you-know-what…still-lifes are hard." He pouted. "I much prefer the abstract, but this isn't a 'me thing' this time."

Desna sat down on the edge of Huan's towel, making sure that he maintained a respectful distance.

"How do you _do_ it?" he found himself blurting out.

"Do what?" asked Huan, giving him a weird look.

"How do you manage to be…you? Keeping a unique identity in such a large family must be difficult."

"Mom and Dad always encouraged us to find our own destinies," Huan replied. He picked up his fidget cube and started twirling it around.

"My parents offered no such encouragement," Desna admitted. "Sometimes…I feel that I have no identity other than Eska's brother." He wondered if he was making the right choice, opening up so to this man he barely knew; however, he guessed that if anyone could offer some insight to this problem that had been plaguing him, it would be Huan.

"Wei and Wing are kind of like that," Huan pointed out.

"True…yet they appear to be equals. Eska has always overshadowed me. She was–is–somewhat of a prodigy. She couldn't speak until she was Kinalik's age, but she was able to read for some time before that. And she was always the better bender. Father preferred her. Of course, he never said it out loud, and Eska may not have even been aware, but it was clear to me, at least."

"Have you discussed this with her?"

"Well, no. She would likely say that it evens out because Mother prefers _me_. But it's not really the same at all. Father liked Eska for her skill; even if was only because he wanted to use her for his own means. Mother only liked me because I was not Eska…and because I was male. More or less."

Huan quirked an eyebrow, but that was a subject that Desna did not feel comfortable detailing at this time.

"Well, I'm not good at this advice stuff," Huan finally said, "Still, I think that if Eska truly loves you, she will understand when you assert your individuality. If she doesn't…then why bother?"

"I suppose," Desna sighed.

"And if it makes you feel any better…I never thought of you as Eska's brother. I think of her as _your_ sister."

Desna was uncertain whether or not this was a good thing, and chose not to respond. It appeared that both of them had exhausted their conversing capacity for the time being. Instead, they lay down and watched the clouds drift by.

\---------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Hm," Opal said.

"Huh?" Bolin answered. He had been lying with his head in Opal's lap, and the airbender had been massaging his scalp when she felt something out of the ordinary.

"It seems like there's this little…ridge in the bone right here," she told him.

"Oh, that? Yeah, I've had that for as long as I remember. I used to get the worst headaches in that area as a kid, too." He paused, frowning. "Come to think of it, my first memory might be of one of those headaches."

"Wow. That's weird."

"Can we please not talk about it anymore?" Bolin implored.

"Oh. Sorry."

They fell silent. Bolin seemed a bit tense…were those headaches really that bad? Or was it something else? Opal was curious, but he already said he didn't want to talk about it, so she had to honor that.

She felt herself growing drowsy. The weather was about as perfect as weather could get…mild, with a slight breeze, and just enough fluffy white clouds to make it so the sun wasn't shining directly onto them. And taking a nap in such weather seemed like a wonderful idea; Pabu had already dozed off.

Opal was just about to ask Bolin to move so she could lie down as well when he said, "Do you think we should give Eska some company? She looks a bit lonely."

Opal looked over.

"Well," she said, "Maybe she just wants some quiet. And she might be getting some company soon after all."

Bolin looked where she was pointing.

"Ah," he said. If he had any opinions on the matter, he kept them to himself.

\---------------------------------------------------------------------------

Now Eska knew why so many people chose to meditate near waterfalls. The sound was enough to put one into an almost trance-like state….if one didn't have to keep checking on one's child to make sure that she was playing by the river's edge as instructed and not going anywhere near the plunge pool.

She stood up, reached a hand into the mist, and bent the droplets onto her face. As she did so, she felt a stab of homesickness. It reminded her of when Father used to take her and Desna to the coast to practice waterbending, and the waves, which in the city were kept under control by the system of gates and canals, were allowed to crash freely against the rocks and bergs…

Just then, she heard a gasp which was quickly converted into a cough, and whipped her head around. Ugh. It was him again. She had been aware that he was nearby for some time; however, she had chosen to ignore him until now.

"If you have something which you wish to communicate to me, then do so," she snapped.

"Um…sorry," was the all-important information which Baatar Junior chose to impart. He gave a frustrated sigh, sat down on the ground in a rather graceless manner, and crossed his legs. Eska had no time to ponder this further, since Kinalik was already running towards him. Eska caught up with her daughter and grabbed her hand.

Did he have a sore throat, or did his voice always sound like that?

She glared at this man and stated, "I do not approve of being _spied_ upon. It was also you who was looking at me from the window the other day, correct?"

"…It was. Sorry. I should have just gone outside…but I didn't know what to say."

Eska thought that this person was almost as bad at social skills as she was. And that was saying something.

"At any rate, my child appears to have taken a liking to you," she informed him. Baatar appeared relieved at the change of subject.

"Yeah, I read a lot to her before you got here," he said. "Mom said it was good for both of us."

Eska was trying to discreetly drag Kinalik back over to the river, but her daughter would have none of that. It appeared that she had no choice but to sit down next to him with Kinalik in her lap.

"Is this a nice man, Kinalik?" she asked. One never could be too careful, after all.

"I'm shy of him!" Kinalik exclaimed before breaking into giggles and hiding her face. Eska surmised that she meant this as a positive.

"I will take her word for it," she told Bataar. "You were at that so-called coronation, were you not? You were Kuvira's other boyfriend. Or rather, her only boyfriend."

A shadow fell over Baatar's eyes.

"That was before she tried to kill me," he informed her. Eska had known that Kuvira had attempted to kill the Avatar, along with several other people, in Republic City, but had not been aware that this man had been among them.

"That is unfortunate, companion," she stated. "I only tried to kill Korra…never Bolin."

Baatar looked at her strangely. Why did everyone give her that look whenever she brought up her homicide attempt? It wasn't like she'd succeeded, or like she'd tried again. Speaking of which…

"Are you not meant to currently be incarcerated?" she inquired abruptly.

He took a breath before replying, "Mom pulled some strings. I'm still not allowed to leave the house unattended, though. So I figured…why even bother?"

"Yet you left the house today."

"I did." Eska waited for elaboration on that statement, but there was none. Kinalik was nodding off on her lap, and Eska did not wish to disturb her. A glance at her surroundings revealed that several other people were napping as well. So she guessed that she was stuck here for the time being.

There were worse people with whom to be conversing, though. Baatar seemed to share her low opinion on small talk, and did not feel obligated to fill every single moment of silence with more idle chatter. What was more, although he was not in his prime as he had been at the coronation, he was still not unpleasant to look at now that he was cleaned up.

Wait. He'd just said something, and she had missed it.

"Please repeat your words," she requested.

"I was saying that I did my thesis on Northern Water Tribe architecture."

Eska decided that this was an upgrade from "The North is my favorite direction."

"Does it appeal to you?" she asked.

"It's definitely interesting. I have never tried building in ice before myself."

"Perhaps in the future I should take you," Eska said. "Then you could observe first-hand. Our library has many volumes on the subject that are not attainable elsewhere."

"That'd be nice."

Eska was content with this topic of conversation. Although architecture was not as big a special interest for her as history or "anthropological studies", she did know a thing or two about the subject.

"It is agreeable to locate an individual who appreciates the details of Northern infrastructure," she said. "Was there any aspect in particular in which you believe yourself to be lacking in knowledge?"

"Yes, actually. I was never able to find much information on how air bubbles in the ice are dealt with. I guess that the authors of the books I found assumed that anyone who was interested in the subject would already know."

So their highly technical and very cultured conversation began. Kinalik napped through the entire thing. Eska lost track of time, and was surprised when Opal came to retrieve them for the journey back to the house.

As Eska persuaded a cranky Kinalik to stand up (Baatar had already gone ahead), she noticed that Opal was gazing at her in a manner which she could not determine.

"What is it?" she asked.

"Well…just be careful, okay?"

Eska had no response for this.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter was pretty harmless fluff, right? Next chapter...not so much.


	10. In Which All Hell Breaks Loose

A week passed. Eska was pleased at the progress which her daughter was making at her lessons. Once, Kinalik had gotten frustrated about a form and had raised another wall in a fit of temper, but this wall was only about half the size of the first one. Otherwise, she appeared to be doing well. Eska had taken to leaving her seat midway through the lesson and coming back right before it was to end. She did this earlier and earlier each day, until she left right after the session started on the sixth day. Kinalik appeared to not have even noticed that Eska was absent.

What was more, Kinalik and Eska were expanding their list of palatable foods. They both discovered that they liked carrots, mushrooms, and edamame. Eska also formed a favorable opinion of snow peas; Kinalik didn't like them as much, but could eat a few. Alas, neither of them cared for bok choy at all.

Naturally, all of Kinalik's problems could not be fixed in a single week. She was still determined on getting her way in every matter, and had a tendency to get angry if crossed. Yet when she was sent to timeout, she was staying there more often than not.

In fact, her improvements were such that Suyin had even suggested that she have her own bedroom. Eska remained uncertain. Her daughter had never slept unattended in the palace; Eska and Desna had deemed it unsafe. Nevertheless, she intended to contemplate the matter further.

While not occupied with matters involving her daughter's upbringing, Eska spent most of her time quietly observing the others in this household. First and foremost was Suyin. For all that Eska personally disliked her for acting as if she were the most enlightened being in the universe, she couldn't help but respect the older woman. Here was a woman who had founded her own city and ruled over it almost single-handedly. And everyone in said city appeared to listen to whatever Suyin said and follow her every command–including her husband, who clearly adored her and was perfectly deferential. Some people just had all the luck.

As for Bolin and Opal…there was not much new that could be determined from them. They seemed like soulmates. Eska wondered what Opal's secret was; how she was able to keep Bolin happy in their relationship while Eska had failed spectacularly at this.

At least she had Baatar Junior to distract her from such ruminations. He had exited his bedroom every day that week, and had gone outside on multiple days, which Eska discerned was a rarity for him. He took to showing her around the various sectors of the city; they spent an entire day in the library alone. Sometimes they would converse, and sometimes they wouldn't. Either one was fine.

Desna seemed to be having similarly successful interactions with Opal and Baatar's brother Huan. A space of the front courtyard had been roped off; it was covered by a tarp at night and a tent during the day. Desna spent much time in that tent with Huan, working on…whatever it was. And when Desna was happy, so was Eska. However, there was a small part of her that worried that her brother might forget her entirely; their time together had been limited since they arrived in Zaofu.

Eska would inquire about this sometime…but not right now.

\---------------------------------------------------------------------------

It was well into the evening. Bolin was sitting in the living room, curled up on a chair; Opal had already gone to bed. Having nothing else to do, he was lost in contemplation. There were certain things had been bothering him for years now; aspects of his life that had never seemed to add up. Normally, he tried to ignore them, because he had never been one to dwell on negative ideas. However, these thoughts had been more insistent since his conversation with Opal at the picnic. He kept going back to that first memory of a headache, and though he could find no direct evidence of it, he had a feeling that this was after his parents were killed. But he had been six then; shouldn't he have memories earlier than that? He felt like he was missing some major piece of this puzzle. What could it be?

"Read."

He looked down to see Kinalik standing at his feet, holding up a book for him to take. She required someone to read to her each evening, and normally Bolin was happy to oblige. But today, the book she had chosen was thick, and looked as if it were some technical volume that she had grabbed at random off of a bookshelf.

"Okay, but shouldn't we read one of your picture books instead, like we usually do?" he asked. "That one seems pretty boring."

"No, this."

Well, all right then. Bolin gingerly took the book and opened it to the first page. To his horror, he couldn't tell what it even said. The print was small, and he could maybe comprehend one out of three characters. And the characters kept seeming like they were moving around, which made things even harder. After a couple of minutes of trying, he had to admit defeat.

"I…can't read this," he said slowly. Had he always had that much of a problem?

"But you're a grown-up," Kinalik insisted. That hurt, although he knew she hadn't intended it to. He lashed out without thinking.

"I _said_ I can't read it! Okay?"

Kinalik hurriedly backed away, tears forming in her eyes. Bolin felt like absolutely the worst person in the world.

"I can read to her," Suyin said hurriedly as she rushed into the room to intervene. "It's not a problem."

"It is _so_ a problem!" Bolin yelled as he stood up. He ran away before Suyin could reply, and before he traumatized his daughter any further. Even Pabu had hidden under a chair.

He couldn't ignore this anymore. His mind raced, and his heart pounded. Every little inconsistency that had been bothering him rose to the surface. He had to talk to Mako. Maybe his brother would have some insight.

His hands were shaking so much that he had to redial the number three times. What if Mako wasn't there? He was supposed to be off duty tonight, but what if there was an emergency?

The phone rang once, then again, then again. By the fourth ring, Bolin felt like he was about to explode in anxiety, but then finally his brother picked up on the other side.

"Hello, Mako here."

"WHY AM I SO _STUPID_?" Bolin shouted without preamble.

"Whoa, what? Is that you, Bolin? First thing…watch the volume. Second thing…you're not stupid. What makes you think that?"

"Oh, I dunno, everything? I can barely write–Chief Beifong said so herself. I can barely _read_! I lost my job because I kept messing up the paperwork, and I can't even fill out an application for a new job without your help! I know it's not just because I didn't go to school…you never finished school either, and you can read fine. And I can't do anything I'm actually good at anymore because I fucked up my knee!"

Bolin was half-expecting Mako to yell at him for swearing, but he didn't.

"Some people have learning problems, bro," his brother said. "That doesn't mean that they're stupid. And I had my doubts about that police job from the beginning. We'll find something that's better for you…it's just going to take a little time."

He was obviously trying to be patient and reassuring. It wasn't working.

"That's not even half of it!" Bolin burst out. "I always say the wrong thing. I always _do_ the wrong thing…remember when I bribed the wrong guy at the trial? I forget things. When I saw Eska at the hotel, I was scared of her for a few seconds because I forgot about Harmonic Convergence. What's more…I've been trying and trying to think up any memory at all about the time before…the time when we still had parents! And I wasn't able to think of a single thing! Nothing! _Nothing_! Somewhere, something went wrong. And I think you know it."

Mako sighed.

"I was hoping it wouldn't come to this," he said. "I didn't want to burden you with it."

"With what?"

"All right. Okay." Mako took a breath; although Bolin couldn't see him, he guessed that Mako was probably doing that nose-bridge pinch thing. "Where do I even begin? See, the night that those firebenders came, everything happened so suddenly. I only had time to hide myself; I wasn't able to find you. And then you ran out and…I guess you assumed that you could take them. And…one of them hit you on the head. I didn't see with what, but it was hard enough to knock you out."

"Oh," Bolin said in a small voice. He felt like he was going to throw up.

"They must have thought you were dead. _I_ thought you were dead. And I couldn't do a damn thing about it until they left. You were breathing, and conscious, and it seemed to me like that was all that mattered. I was just a kid myself; I was worried that those people might come back if I tried to get help."

"So wait…that thing on my head…"

"Yeah, they broke your skull. You were out of it for weeks. But it healed on its own, then you seemed to get better, so I thought things would be okay."

"Oh? Well, you thought wrong!" Bolin interrupted. The initial shock had worn off, and all he felt now was anger. "All this time, I've been walking around with a broken head, and feeling like I was dumb for no reason, and you kept this from me?!"

"You always had issues," Mako answered defensively. "Mom and Dad could hardly ever get you to sit still. You know that picture of us that Grandma had? I remember when that was taken. You wouldn't even look at the camera!"

"D-don't give me that Mako! You know you messed up!"

"I didn't want to upset you!"

"Well, you did anyway! You keep telling me to act more like an adult, and you won't even treat me like one!"

"Bolin…"

Bolin, however, had had enough of Mako's stupid…stupidness. He hung up the phone, slamming it as loudly as he could. He'd believed at the time that the thing with Mako and Korra kissing was the worst that he could ever feel, but this was a hundred times worse than that. It was as if his guts were being slowly shredded into tiny pieces.

He felt totally and utterly betrayed. His whole life had been a lie. This…thing had been with him for fifteen years, like a parasite, and he'd never had the slightest idea. All the personality traits that he'd seen as good about himself–his positive outlook on life, his need to make friends with everyone, his tendency to easily forgive, his self-confidence–how much of that was really _him_ , and how much was only brain damage? And no one had ever told him that hey, something was weird about him, maybe he should see a doctor. If Mako had hidden something like this from him for fifteen years…Bolin wasn't sure that he could ever trust his brother again.

He couldn't breathe. All he could think about was the need to get some fresh air…and to get outside before he puked on the floor.

"Hey, get back here! No one's allowed to go outside at night without a chaperone!" Suyin exclaimed as he ran past. Bolin ignored her. He ran all the way through the house and through the back door, hoping that he would have more privacy on this side of the house. He barely had time to get outside before his stomach surrendered to the nausea. When that was done, he walked over to a gazebo and slumped down in the seat, letting the tears fall freely.

\---------------------------------------------------------------------------

The moon was full, and Eska was on edge, compounded by anxiety from all the shouting that had gone on tonight. (Certainly that wasn't _Bolin_ yelling…was it?) Her entire body itched for the release of bending. She had attempted some while bathing Kinalik. Yet while this served to keep her daughter amused, it was insufficient for Eska's own needs.

As soon as her daughter was tucked in bed and falling asleep, Eska hurried to the front door to gain access to the stream in the courtyard. However, she met an unexpected obstacle.

"I can't have any more people out alone," Suyin said sternly as she crossed her arms. "Bolin has yet to come back in, and even he's not supposed to be out there."

"This is necessary for my emotional well-being," Eska answered, hoping that she sounded equally intimidating.

"We cannot take that security risk now that our domes are gone. I'm sorry," Suyin told her.

"Then why are you unable to escort me?" Eska asked.

" _I_ am about to go to bed; can't you see that I'm in my pajamas? How about we arrange something for tomorrow night. The moon should still be pretty full then."

Eska remained insistent.

"It must be tonight."

The two of them stared each other down, neither one willing to concede any ground. Eska was prepared to stay there the entire night if need be. Thankfully, this did not happen.

"I can take her."

They both turned around to see Baatar Junior standing near the hall that led to the kitchen. Apparently, he had come down here to get a late-night snack, as he held a half-eaten apple in one hand.

Suyin conceded defeat by way of throwing her arms into the air.

"All right, all right. But only for half an hour. If you're not back inside by that point, I _will_ send someone out to get you. Bolin as well, to make it fair."

Eska supposed that she would have to make the best of the little time she had. She dashed out the front door and made a beeline to the brook, Baatar scarcely managing to keep up with her. As soon as she reached the water, Eska raised a good-sized globule out of it and started forming any shape she could think of. One big perfect sphere. Several smaller spheres of various sizes and formations. A whip. Stretching it out and then doubling it back on itself, then extending it again and winding it into a spiral shape. When she ran out of things to do to the water in its liquid state, she switched over to ice. And of course, the possibilities with ice crystals were virtually endless.

Finally, she was breathing hard and felt like she had used up most of her excess energy. Plus, she supposed that the allotted half-hour must nearly be over. She returned the water back to a liquid, and dropped it back in its source with a splash. When she turned back towards the house, she saw that Bataar had not moved from where she had left him. The apple core had long since been discarded by his feet, and he was staring at her slightly open-mouthed.

"That was…incredible," he breathed. "I've never seen non-combat waterbending up that close before."

He walked closer. Eska let him.

"May I?" he asked, reaching out his hand. Eska nodded, and he took her hand in his.

"You have beautiful fingers," he commented.

"I bite my fingernails. A most unattractive habit, as my mother has informed me countless times," Eska stated.

"Well…even so," he said. As if being pushed by an invisible force, Eska moved in closer until their bodies were almost flush with each other. She managed to make eye contact, and found that Baatar was staring at her with longing.

"Mother of my heart," he whispered. Eska snorted.

"That was terrible," she remarked. "You are even worse than Bolin."

"Yeah, sorry, that was pretty bad. Unfortunately, I'm an architect and engineer…not a poet."

Later, while thinking back, Eska could not be certain who had leaned forward first. But someone did, and their lips met.

Baatar was a very good kisser. Even Eska, who had only been kissed on the lips twice in her entire life, could discern that. And none of her previous experience had involved tongue. Despite what all the romance novels said about tongues "battling for dominance," there was no such battle here. Eska's lingual musculature was superior over all, and Baatar knew it.

They had to stop briefly to get some air, and resumed right where they had left off. Eska moaned and pressed herself closer, her long-dormant libido flaring to life. Before this, she would have never thought it possible for her body to start producing lubrication from merely a kiss, but this appeared to be the case now. And she could feel that Baatar was similarly affected. She could feel…

Wait. _What was she thinking_? She abruptly broke the kiss and bent a wall of ice between them.

"I am so, so sorry," Baatar gasped out once Eska allowed the wall to disintegrate. "I don't know what got into me…"

He was prevented from saying anything further by Eska holding a finger in front of his lips.

"It is not a matter of consent," she told him. "Were it not for the time limit, I would willingly copulate with you at this very instant, in this very location. Still…I do not believe you are actually attracted to me; you're attracted to an idea. As am I."

"Is that really so bad?" Baatar asked once Eska had removed her finger.

"For me, yes. Are you aware of what occurred during my previous relationship with Bolin?"

"Generally, yes."

"And…you do not object to it?"

"Itturnsmeon," he mumbled while looking down at his hands. Eska could discern his blush not so much by sight as by feeling the radiating heat.

"Then I certainly cannot proceed. I would simply be repeating my past mistakes," she said. She turned around and started back for the house before he could change her mind. An instant too late, she remembered that Baatar was not supposed to be left unattended outdoors…but she highly doubted that he was in a mental condition to attempt to escape.

She decided to go in via the back door so Suyin wouldn't harangue her for being a minute or two late. But this proved to be a bad choice. First she narrowly avoided stepping in a puddle of vomit, then bumped into someone while preoccupied with her feet.

"Hey! Watch it!" Bolin yelped.

" _You_ watch it," Eska retorted.

" _Eska_? What…?"

"Leave me to suffer in peace!" Eska snapped as she breezed past him and into the house. The sole thing on her mind right now was to get to her room without disturbing Kinalik and take a nice long bath…and possibly take care of other things simultaneously.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm saving most of my notes for a section at the end of the story, but I felt that this was important to share. Five months ago, I found out that a medicine that I had been taking for a long time (for 15 years, coincidentally) had caused a very rare but very bad side effect which I hadn't known about; one that doesn't immediately go away after stopping the medicine. The best I can say at this point is that it isn't cancer. My follow-up MRI and labs were reassuring, but I still have a lot of workup to go through. I decided that I might as well take my feelings of anger and betrayal and channel them into something productive.


	11. Of Movers and Misunderstandings

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A bit of a change to the chapter title format this time; I just really liked this title when I thought it up.
> 
> All right. Now I have to ask something.
> 
> You're all okay with the fact that there will be sex scenes later in this story, correct? Because I just had the first person who ever reviewed my story on ff.net ragequit over that. I found it hurtful, and, to be honest, very unexpected. I had assumed that the fact that this story was rated M was a pretty dead giveaway; I'm not one to assign a story that rating for a few curse words and a makeout scene!
> 
> If anyone doesn't want to read them, I'll give a warning at the beginning of the chapters in question.

Opal had to force herself out of bed the next morning. Even having gone to bed early, she felt groggy and more than a bit cranky. Her mood did not improve upon arriving in the dining room. It was empty except for Bolin and Eska, who were pointedly sitting with their backs to each other. Eska was glaring at the floor as if it had done her a grave injustice, and Bolin was sulking over a mug of green tea that matched his eyes. The lower half of his face was all-but-hidden in Pabu's fur.

"All right. What happened?" she demanded.

Eska said nothing. Bolin only muttered that he didn't want to talk about it. Come to think about it, Bolin had gotten to bed later than usual. Opal wasn't sure of the exact time, though, since she hadn't been awake for long enough to check the clock. She had also been vaguely aware of some shouting at some point, although it was difficult for her to tell what was real and what had been a dream.

Normally she would have let them work it out on their own, but this morning her patience was thin.

"Well, I am not going to let you two sit here all day doing nothing," she told him. "We are…"–she thought quickly– "…going to see the new mover!"

"I abhor that Varrick," Eska remarked. "He shoved a camera into my face when I had done absolutely nothing to instigate it."

"Oh yeah, I remember that. That was one scary mover," Bolin shot back. Even Eska looked up in surprise at that. Wow. Something must _really_ be bothering him.

Opal felt her eye twitch.

"Guys. Don't. Just don't. Bolin, don't be mean. Eska, please make sure you don't say that in front of Mom. And this mover isn't even one of Varrick's. It's from one of the new rival studios."

Eska did perk up at that.

"So if we attend this mover, we will be subsidizing Varrick's competition?" she inquired.

"You could put it that way, yeah."

"Then I shall accompany you," Eska said. "First, however, I must reconvene with my daughter upon the conclusion of her lesson."

"Sure. Go ahead. The matinee doesn't start for another hour or so anyway."

Eska got up and walked out of the room. Now all Opal had to do was convince Bolin.

"Come on. It'll be fun!" she coaxed. "It's a dumb little romantic comedy. You like those, right?"

Bolin winced.

"Don't say that word."

"Which word?"

"Dumb."

Had Eska called him that? Opal thought that it didn't really seem like a word she'd use.

"Okay. How about silly? A silly little movie to pass some time."

"Do you think that it'll be enough to help me..forget? Even for a little while?" He put his cup of tea on the table; apparently, it had cooled off too much to be appealing any longer.

Whatever had gone wrong for him obviously had been something immense. Opal had seen Bolin upset before, but he was usually demonstrative about it; not this quiet, burnt-out shell of himself. She knelt down beside his chair and took his hand in hers. When she looked up at his face, she saw that his eyes were swollen and red-rimmed.

"What _happened_?" she asked again, more quietly this time. Then, "Was it something Eska did?"

"Not really…she was only like five percent of it. Maybe I shouldn't have said that to her. I just…I'll tell you later."

"Okay, take your time. Just know that if I don't know what's wrong, then the advice I can give will be limited. Still, it probably would do you good to be distracted. You don't want to isolate yourself forever." _Like Baatar_ , she added silently. Speaking of which…

"You haven't happened to see Baatar today, would you have?" she asked. He was currently nowhere in sight.

Bolin answered, "Yeah, he did get something to eat a while ago. He wasn't here long, though, and I wasn't really paying attention to him."

Opal couldn't suppress a sigh of exasperation. Baatar had been doing so well recently, too! Wait…did Eska…? She had no time to bring this thought to a conclusion, though, since the aforementioned person returned to the dining room at that instant.

"Desna has agreed to watch Kinalik for the morning," she announced. "So I am, as one might say, 'good to go.'"

The trip to the mover theater in the central sector was unremarkable except for one thing.

"I believe that this is the third separate statue of Toph Beifong that I have seen so far in this city," Eska commented as they disembarked the monorail at the station. "Did she assist in founding it? Or is it simply because she invented metalbending?"

Wait. She didn't know?

"Well, um…she's my mom's mom," Opal explained.

"I was not aware of such a fact," Eska replied. Now that she was thinking about it, Opal didn't actually recall her surname ever being mentioned in conversation with Eska; she had assumed that the waterbender had already known.

Eska gazed at Opal, as if seeing her in a new light. Opal was struck by how interesting her eyes were; so light blue that they appeared almost colorless sometimes. The smaller woman had spent so much of her life hiding–physically in those long robes and furs and bangs, and emotionally with that seldom-changing facial expression–that Opal doubted that she knew how striking she could actually look.

Finally, Eska appeared to grow uncomfortable, and asked, "Was my lack of knowledge objectionable?"

"Huh? Oh no, you're fine. Sorry….it was rude of me to stare like that."

"I am guilty of the same crime," Eska admitted.

"Oh. I see."

There was a pause. Then Bolin cleared his throat and asked, "So…we are still going to go see the mover, right?"

Whoops.

"Don't worry. We're coming," Opal told him.

Despite Bolin's doubts, they reached the theater in good time. After purchasing a large bag of dried cuttlefish to share for a snack (and complaining to each other about the fact that it cost 50 yuans), they went to find some seats. Opal happened to end up with the middle seat again.

As the lights dimmed, Opal grabbed on to Bolin's hand. Then, not wanting Eska to feel left out, she took hers as well. Eska looked at her questioningly, yet did not pull away.

\---------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Um…excuse me for a minute," Opal said as soon as they exited from the room in which the mover was shown into the main area. She dashed into the bathroom down the hall, despite all of them having used the bathroom prior to the mover starting. Eska thought some thoughts, but kept them to herself. In any case, Opal looked well enough when she emerged.

"You know what bugged me about that mover?" Bolin asked as they left the building. "Like really bugged me?"

"What?" Opal asked.

"You know the part where they had sex and then the next morning the guy got out of bed and he was wearing underwear? _Where did the underwear come from_?"

He seemed reverted to his old self, yet was he truly? Eska thought she recalled hearing something about his brief career as an actor. Was this an act as well?

"Maybe he got up in the middle of the night to put some on?" Opal guessed.

"But why would he get up only to do that?"

"That portion bothered me as well," Eska chimed in. "We must write to this studio and inform them that they must correct this error immediately."

"Yeah!" Bolin cried as he pumped a fist into the air.

"Uh, guys? I don't think it was an error. They probably didn't want to get in trouble for showing full-frontal nudity," Opal pointed out.

"I would not mind," Eska said a little too quickly. _At least not if it were Bolin_. They both looked at her oddly, as if they could read her thoughts.

"So, uh, anyway," Bolin started after much awkward silence, "Opal, do you think you could get us some lunch? Whatever you think looks good. Eska and I have an errand to run." He grabbed Eska by the arm and dragged her away before she could protest.

"I was unaware of this errand," she said as soon as Opal was no longer visible.

"Sorry. I just remembered that Opal's birthday is next week, and…I haven't had the chance to get her anything yet."

"And why do you need me to accomplish this task?" Eska asked.

"Because…she really likes books, and I'm not much of a book person. You said you like to read, right?"

"I did indeed. On the first full day after we met," Eska affirmed. She was surprised that he had remembered.

"Yay, my memory didn't mess up this time!" Bolin exclaimed. "That means you can help! It's like I can read the titles, but I can't really understand them; you get what I'm saying?"

Eska, who had never had any problems with reading comprehension, did not in fact get what he was saying. She decided not to vocalize this, though. Instead, she inquired, "Which sorts of books does she prefer?"

"Well, she reads almost anything, but I think she likes poetry the best. Which…I know nothing about."

The only style of poetry with which Eska was familiar was that of her native Northern Water Tribe. She liked it because it was succinct and did not have hidden meanings. However, she presumed that Opal's tastes might be different.

As they started walking, Eska decided that she might as well get this over with; she had been rehearsing the words in her head for most of the morning.

"I apologize for last night," she said. "I thought I had significant problems…yet upon consideration, I realized that yours must be greater, since they induced you to eject your stomach contents."

There. Was that what people said when they did manners? Perhaps she should have omitted the part about the stomach contents. Whatever the case, Bolin appeared to accept her apology.

"It's okay. But thanks," he said. Eska was grateful that he chose not to pry further.

The bookstore was only a couple of blocks away from the theater, although nothing was too distant from anything else in this compact sector. Eska found her way to the poetry section, and decided to look at the Air Nomad style. She herself knew next to nothing of it; she assumed that Opal, being an airbender, would know more. After some thought, she chose three books that appeared promising and returned to Bolin.

"Are you aware if she already possesses these volumes?" she asked him, fanning them out in a left-to-right manner.

"Well, I know she has that one in the middle, because I recognize the swirly things on the cover," he answered. "Not sure about those other two."

"I recommend that you purchase both. That way, you will double the chances that you are giving her a new one."

"Yeah, good thinking."

"I will meet you at the door once you have accomplished this task," Eska told him. "I also have something which I wanted to purchase for Opal." She swept off before he could ask questions.

It was lucky for her that the type of book for which she was searching was on the second floor. The particular book also happened to be on display, so she did not have to look through the shelves. She took the book to the upstairs register, and paid extra to get it gift-wrapped.

"Aren't you going to tell me what it is?" Bolin asked once she rejoined him.

"That is a negative," Eska said. "You will find out soon enough. Probably."

Bolin apparently decided to let the matter drop for now.

\---------------------------------------------------------------------------

Once Eska, Bolin, and Opal returned home, and Desna had passed responsibility for Kinalik back to his sister, he decided that he would check out how things were proceeding at the tent. Although his actual contributions to the project had become minimal, Desna found it fascinating to watch metalbending at work. It didn't hurt matters that he was compelled by the person doing the metalbending as well. Huan was usually a man of few words, but once one got him talking about a subject that interested him, his animated speech revealed the fire and passion within. A couple of days ago, Huan had followed through on his promise and showed Desna the section of the courtyard that contained his art. He had bounded joyfully from piece to piece, and had had something to say about each and every item. Although Desna didn't always understand the technical details, he'd been content to simply let the other man talk. He had also enjoyed meeting Huan's father, who had turned out to be a perfectly pleasant and unobjectionable man.

Today, however, things appeared to not be going so well. No sooner had Desna left the house than he heard a howl of frustration emanating from the tent, followed by a dull thud. He quickened his pace.

When he opened the flap, he found Huan slumped over, his face buried in his knees. He was unaccompanied by his father at this time. The base of the fountain had a dent in it, presumably because Huan had either kicked it or thrown something at it. When Huan finally processed that someone had entered the tent, his head shot up, revealing a tear-stained face. His initial reaction appeared to be ire at being disturbed, but when he saw Desna, he relaxed, albeit very slightly.

"Oh. It's you. You can stay," he said.

"What occurred that is not to your liking?" Desna asked.

"The flowers on the top tier don't look balanced! No matter how many times I erase them and try to start over, it's not working! And Opal's birthday is next week!" Huan shouted.

"Well, that means you have seven days in which to arrive at a solution," Desna told him.

"But her birthday is _next week_ ," Huan repeated, as if he hadn't heard what Desna had said. The waterbender knew enough to not be offended. This happened to Eska occasionally; she would be so anxious that her thoughts would get stuck no matter how hard she tried to unstick them…like a Satomobile wheel caught in deep mud. This required Desna to choose his words with a great deal of thought so as not to make the situation worse.

"Is there anything I can do to be of assistance right now?" he asked.

"I dunno. Just…stay here, I guess," Huan answered. He lowered his head to its original position. And so Desna did. He sat there quietly next to Huan until the taller boy's breathing evened out. Finally, Huan collected himself enough that he flicked his finger to fix the dent in the fountain, and Desna judged the crisis to have passed.

"Your sister will almost certainly not be inspecting your gift looking for minute flaws," Desna said carefully. "She does not strike me as that type of person. I believe that she will be delighted by it no matter what."

"I guess you're right," Huan admitted. "I just want it to be perfect."

"And it will be. One way or another," Desna said. He realized that he had come close to saying "you" instead of "it."

Huan looked away; Desna saw him silently moving his lips as if practicing what he'd say next.

"I like you," he finally stated quietly, still looking away. "And I don't say that about everyone. Hardly anyone, in fact."

"I like you too," Desna replied. Although neither of them had clarified exactly which meaning of the word "like" they intended, Huan seemed satisfied.

No further work was done on the fountain that day, yet they both remained in the tent until it was nearly time for dinner. Desna liked enclosed spaces, and it seemed that this structure soothed Huan as well. They shared some details of their life stories with each other.

"I'm jealous," Huan said when Desna revealed that he had been a co-chieftain until recently. "It must be neat to throw all your enemies in prison whenever you feel like it."

"Well, it is not that simple," Desna answered. "There was truly only one man whom I wanted to throw into prison, yet I was not allowed to do so. And you…you have grown up with a stable, loving family, which is something I never had."

"I guess. But I was bullied a lot at school. Mom had to home-school me eventually. And I'm still mad that they were never _punished_. This city's like…everyone knows everyone else, so they're out there somewhere, probably still laughing at me."

"May I touch your shoulder?" Desna asked.

"Yeah. But only with one hand. And not too hard."

Desna did as Huan asked, and thought about his own childhood in that isolated palace. Naturally, no one had bullied him to his face, but the palace courtiers were known for being polite and respectful to his and Eska's faces, only to viciously mock them behind their backs.

Perhaps Huan's life experience was not as different from his as he previously thought.

\---------------------------------------------------------------------------

After a dinner in which Eska and Kinalik tasted tofu for the first time, and the latter had been bathed and given a ream of paper and several different colors of crayons to occupy her until bedtime, the former went out into the courtyard and sat on the steps of the back gazebo–the same one from which Bolin had been walking last night– to look at the sun setting. This sunset was particularly enjoyable because the clouds were exactly the right wispy form to turn all sorts of vivid shades of pink. Eska had to admit that it was much more vibrant than the one in the South during what was supposed to have been her wedding. She only wished that the peak pinkness would last for more than a few minutes.

Most of the color had faded by the time Eska heard footsteps clanking up the stairs on the other side.

"Opal," she said by way of greeting.

"Eska," Opal replied. She did not sound happy.

"Are you going to simply stand there disapprovingly all night, or are you actually going to explain why you are so displeased at me?" Eska asked. What could Opal be mad about? Was this about how she'd bumped into Bolin last night? But Eska had already apologized for that and everything!

As it turned out, it was not about Bolin at all.

"I want to know what you did to my brother," Opal informed her, in a tone so cold that it could rival Eska's own.

Oh. That.

"That is a matter between him and I," she replied.

Opal shook her head.

"No. _No_. Don't give me that, Eska! Mom said that you were the last one with him before he shut himself in his room again. He's been there almost all day. I tried to talk to him a few minutes ago, and he refused to tell me anything. I forgave you for Bolin; I gave you a second chance! Was that a mistake?"

This was the first time that Eska had heard Opal truly raise her voice. For an instant, she thought she might burst into tears, but managed to bury the urge in layers of ice.

"For your _information_ , I concluded my short-lived relationship with your brother so I would not be tempted do the same thing twice. I am certain that he would corroborate this. Perhaps you should not jump to conclusions," she spat. If she did things one way, people got mad at her, and if she did things the opposite way, people _still_ got mad at her! It was a situation which she could not win.

In any case, this appeared to deflate Opal somewhat.

"…Oh," she said as she looked away. Then, "I guess it is partly my fault; I should have explained things more clearly. He tends to fade into the background, so he can be kind of clingy if anyone pays special attention to him. He was like that even before…before Kuvira. I'm not saying you can never have a relationship with him…just that now wouldn't be a good time."

She still looked serious, but at least not angry anymore.

"I will talk to him tomorrow, if you wish," Eska offered.

"Well…okay," Opal said. "I think I should probably be there too, though."

"That seems reasonable," Eska answered. She thought that maybe now was the time to ask what had been bothering her for weeks, now that they were on the subject of relationships. The problem was, she didn't know exactly how to put it into words.

"You…and Bolin…your romantic bond has been of several years' duration, has it not? How do you…?"

"How do we make it work?" Opal asked. Eska nodded, relieved to be bailed out.

"Well…"–Opal had been standing all this time, and now moved to sit beside Eska– "The truth is, we don't always. The first three years were hard because of the long-distance relationship, and then we had a pretty big falling-out about him joining Kuvira. It's only this past year where we've really found our footing. I'd say it's all about trust. We have to accept that we can't be with each other every minute of every day, and that we need to give each other freedom to make our own choices."

"How do you manage to not be constantly anxious that he might locate another woman whom he prefers over you?" Eska asked.

"Honestly…I can't say it hasn't crossed my mind on occasion. I think he might have had a crush on Kuvira, but so did pretty much everyone back in those early days. And he does like his physical affection. But it's kind of an innocent until proven guilty thing. If something like that does happen, I'd break up with him immediately, of course. In the long run, though, micromanaging him isn't going to cause the anxiety to go away, and as you learned, it's counterproductive."

"So if I were to initiate physical contact with Bolin, you would allow it?" Eska inquired.

"If it's something like hugging, then yes. I don't know how they do that stuff in the Northern Water Tribe, but here, friends hug each other all the time."

"He is fortunate to have someone as intuitive as yourself," Eska answered. It all sounded so easy when Opal said it like that… what about in practice? Would this be something that she would ever be capable of achieving, or would she be doomed to a lifetime of celibacy?

They sat quietly for a few minutes to let this discussion sink in. Then Opal said, "You know, this gazebo has a bit of a reputation in our family. This is where Bolin and I were first alone together. Briefly. Korra interrupted us."

"It is a much nicer location than where he introduced himself to me," Eska remarked. "Had we met anywhere else, I might well have ignored him. But that festival was so horrendous that I decided I required a distraction."

A mischievous look arose on Opal's face.

"Did he use one of his awful pickup lines?" she asked. "He told me I was blowing him away with my airbending. Complete with sound effects."

"Mine was worse."

"Worse than _that_?" Opal appeared dubious.

"He related that the North was his favorite direction. I think he said something else prior to that, but my brain was overloaded, so I do not recall what it was."

Opal blinked.

"Okay, you win. That _is_ worse!" she declared.

"Sometimes I am curious how he continues to exist," Eska said.

"I know, right?"

Was this what was referred to as "girl talk" in the magazines? If so, Eska found it surprisingly entertaining. She wondered if this was how Korra and Asami had…

" _There_ you are, Opal! I was looking for you all over the house! And hi, Eska."

Why was it that every single time Eska was about to make a breakthrough with Opal, something–or someone–interrupted them?! On this occasion, the intruder was Bolin. Eska had been so lost in her thoughts that she hadn't even heard the clanking.

"We were occupied in disparaging your pickup lines, as Opal refers to them," Eska related.

"Ah..is that supposed to be a bad thing? I guess it's only fair. But really, seriously, I have something I need to tell you two."

"Is this about what was bothering you this morning?" Opal prompted.

"Yeah. Yeah, it is."

Opal moved several inches away from Eska. The latter initially thought that Opal was mad at her again. Then realized that she was simply making room for Bolin to sit in between them, which he did. Eska shifted slightly as well, so they wouldn't be packed together so snugly.

"So, uh, I called Mako last night," Bolin began, "Because, you know, even I can tell that I'm not that bright. And you know what he said? He said that I got hit on the head the night our parents died! Hard enough to break the skull. And he…just kept that from me this whole time."

Opal gasped.

"That's horrible! I can't believe he'd hide something like that!" she squeaked. She threw her arms around him.

"That explains much about you," Eska commented.

" _Eska_ …" Opal said in a warning tone. Bolin, however, waved it off.

"No, she's right. It does. Like with the whole Kuvira thing…and stuff." He rested his chin in his hand. "I guess I'll have to learn how to live with this…somehow. I keep thinking…how much of me is actually me, and how much is _that_? What would I have been like if that had never happened? And it was kind of all my fault to begin with. If I'd hidden like I was supposed to instead of trying to take on adult gangsters like an idiot…"

"Please don't do this to yourself," Opal implored. "Of course it wasn't your fault!"

"No one is allowed to make my turtleduck sad," Eska added, opting to leave off the "feeble" this time. "If you wish, I will travel back to Republic City tomorrow and exsanguinate your brother."

"What does that mean?" Bolin asked.

"I don't think you want to know," Opal answered. "Eska, I know you're trying to help, but I don't think that violence is the answer here."

" _Fine_ ," Eska huffed. Why did people always stifle her plans of homicide?

"So, um, anyway," Opal said, turning her attention back to Bolin, "I'm not going to say that this doesn't matter to me. Because seeing you upset like this does matter very much to me. But I still love you…traumatic brain injury or not. And I'll be there for you."

"What is more, we will sharply upbraid any individual who is not understanding," Eska added. She hoped that they'd noticed that she hadn't said anything about murder this time.

"Well, uh, thanks guys. Girls. It means a lot," Bolin said quietly.

They sat together for a long time. Opal was leaning in against Bolin, and Eska glanced at her to see if it was acceptable for her to follow suit. The other woman gave her a thumbs-up with her free hand. Eska liked this. Bolin's scent was pleasing, and the contact gave her a warm tingly feeling, similar to sexual arousal, yet not exactly the same. Although she wished that the three of them could remain in this position forever, eventually it was necessary for them to go back inside due to the decreasing outdoor temperature.


	12. Of Important Conversations and Bolin's Magical...

The next day, Eska awoke with a sense of purpose. It was time for her to take care of some important conversations. Breakfasts in this household tended to be an informal affair with no set time. Nevertheless, most of the family happened to be gathered in the dining room this morning. Desna was with Huan and Baatar Senior, looking at a large piece of paper that appeared to have a schematic diagram inscribed on it. Eska did need to talk to her brother today, but first things first. She glanced at Opal, and they nodded at each other.

When her meal was consumed, Eska returned to her room to dress and do her routine morning hygiene, then dropped Kinalik off at her lesson. Then, she returned into the hall to wait for Opal. The airbender joined her after a few minutes, and they wordlessly set out for the bedroom at the far end of the house.

Opal knocked on the door; Eska had decided that she would let the other woman initiate the discussion, since she of course knew her brother much better than Eska did.

"We know you're in there, Baatar," she said when there was no response to the knock.

There was a pause. Then, "We?"

"Yes. 'We.'"

"You're not going to go away, are you?"

"Nope."

Baatar emitted a resigned sigh, but he opened the door.

"What do you want?" he asked.

"I think you know."

"Yeah, like I haven't heard it from Mom countless times," Baatar grumbled. "It's always the same thing. 'Don't shut yourself in there all the time, Baatar, it's not healthy.' Like I _care_ about my health?"

"You might not. But _we_ do," Opal told him. "If you won't do it for yourself, how about for us? All of us?"

Eska decided that she might have some relevant input.

"I was once in a position that was similar to yours in some aspects," she began. "I gambled, and I lost. I felt as if my life were over. But then, my brother was seriously injured; I could have lost him. And I realized…I had been overlooking what was truly important."

She glanced at Opal to see if her words were met with approval. Opal gave her another thumbs-up; this one was partially concealed in her tunic so Baatar wouldn't see it.

Opal paused, apparently thinking about how best to phrase her thoughts, then said, "Look, we're not asking you to fix everything overnight. What happened to you is terrible; we all know that. And recovery…well, I've talked to Korra, and she says that it sucks. That is a direct quote, by the way. But she _also_ said that she was going nowhere until she took it upon herself to get help."

"I did try," Baatar pointed out. "And I just ended up scaring _her_ off." He pointed at Eska.

"You underestimate me. I am not so easily scared," Eska replied. "What happened between us was–how do the magazines refer to it again?–a rebound relationship. I agree that it was a minor setback. That does not mean that either of us can just…give up."

"Agreed. If one thing didn't work, you just have to try again. So what if romance isn't in the cards right now? You have a whole family that cares about you," Opal said.

"I'll think about it," Baatar stated.

Opal responded, "Good. That's all we're expecting of you at the moment. It's the first step. Oh, and if you wanted to talk to Korra, I'm sure we could arrange for her to come visit,"

"I actually think I might like that," Baatar said.

Eska left the two siblings to finish the conversation. She had her own sibling to find.

Desna was in the courtyard helping Huan set up the tent. Eska tapped him on the shoulder. Thankfully, his startle reflex wasn't nearly as great as her own.

"Oh. Hello, sister," he said. "Huan, will you excuse me for a brief interval?"

Huan gave his consent, and the twins went over to the metalbending arena, which was distant enough from the rest of the courtyard that Eska hoped they would have total privacy. She decided to get right to the point.

"Have you been avoiding me?" she inquired.

Desna looked…resigned, as if he had been anticipating this but not looking forward to it.

"I have been occupied with my own interests, Eska," he said. "As have you."

He did have a point. Yet there was an edge to his voice that concerned Eska.

"Did I commit an act which you found offensive?" she asked.

"No, that is not it. I…"–he appeared temporarily lost for words– "I care for you more than any other individual on this planet. You are aware of this, correct?"

"I am. And I reciprocate that sentiment," Eska assured him. She couldn't ascertain what he was trying to say, which also worried her. They had always been able to read each other's moods effortlessly before.

"Then…if we both know it to be true, why do we have to constantly prove it by being together every second of every day?"

"We have always done things this way," Eska told him, taken aback. "We have only ever had each other. Especially after the termination of Father's life." They certainly had not been able to rely on Mother or their advisors during their reign.

"Could you say that you were ever truly _happy_ with that arrangement, though?" Desna pressed. "We cannot grow this way. What if something were to happen to me, and the healers weren't able to make me better this time? You would be entirely alone in the world. I believe that we both need to forge other relationships."

"Are you attempting to break up with me in a non-romantic fashion?" Eska asked. There were tears in her eyes, yet the whole idea was so ridiculous that she laughed a little.

"I do not think of it as such," Desna answered. "When we said 'now and always,' we meant it. Consider it as more of…an expansion of horizons. Do you recall when Father first allowed us to use our bending to traverse the ocean on our own? There was so much water…more than we could have ever imagined from looking from the coast. It was not that the old water ever disappeared; it was that there was so much new and open as well."

It was a good analogy. Eska finally felt something click.

"And you are not afraid of the new?" she asked.

"I would not say that. Nevertheless, I think it will be beneficial for both of us."

What could Eska say in response? "I will miss you" would be incorrect, because Desna was not physically relocating. After a few minutes, she settled on a simple, "Good luck."

"And to you as well, sister," Desna responded.

\---------------------------------------------------------------------------

Bolin also had an important talk to do. Not with Mako…he wasn't quite ready for that. There was someone he had hurt, though; someone who he wasn't sure was even capable of understanding.

He found Kinalik in her usual play area in the living room. Her morning lesson was over, and it looked like she was making a replica of Zaofu out of wooden blocks. Going by her rocking, it appeared that she was pleased with the results. Eska was nearby, reading a book.

"Do you think Ki and I could have a conversation alone?" he asked Eska. "I thought I needed to tell her about…the thing."

If Eska had noticed his little Varrick-ism, she didn't say anything. She glided out of the room wordlessly and almost noiselessly.

Bolin sat down near Kinalik in a much less graceful manner. She looked a little nervous, but at least she didn't try to make a run for it like Bolin had been fearing.

"It's neat how you did the monorail tracks," he said in an attempt to break the ice, pointing at them while being careful to not touch it. "With lining up those crayons? I'm not sure I would have thought of doing that. And that's the waterfall over there, right?" He pointed at a tower of 4 blue blocks standing in one corner.

"I tried five," Kinalik informed him. "It fell."

"Four's a good number too," Bolin said. "It's what you're going to be on your next birthday, after all. When _is_ your birthday?"

Kinalik told him.

"Wow, I hadn't realized ours were so close together! That's…"–he counted on his fingers–seventeen, no, _eighteen_ days before mine. Maybe we can share a party!"

"No sharing," Kinalik said sternly.

"Yeah, I see your point. If we don't share, then we can have two cakes! And more cake is always better. I'm not sure Opal would allow that, though."

As fun as this conversation was, Bolin realized he was really just stalling.

"I guess I…I'm really sorry that I yelled at you. I found out that I had a boo-boo in my head, which makes it so I can't really read grown-up books. I was very sad, but I still shouldn't have scared you."

"Oh," Kinalik said. After looking at him for a few seconds, she went back to her blocks. Bolin supposed that this was the best he was going to get from a child of that age.

"So here's my idea for today," he said. "How about, once you're done with this, we go ride the monorail and find a place to eat lunch? And then, when we get back, I can read you _The Adventures of Li the Badger Mole_. Sound like a plan?"

 _The Adventures of Li the Badger Mole_ was about the titular character helping out his friend by digging her a new house when her old house collapsed during a rainstorm. It had simple words with a lot of repetition, which Bolin liked, and ample opportunities for the reader to insert their own sound effects, which Kinalik liked.

In any case, his daughter seemed to be both in agreement with said plan and accepting of his apology. She even allowed Bolin to be in charge of selecting the right blocks to compose the large spire in the central sector.

\---------------------------------------------------------------------------

Kinalik had had a very good day! She'd had a good time with her lesson, she'd gotten to ride on the monorail with Bolin, she'd had a bowl of noodles with an egg and a fish cake in it for lunch, and then Bolin had read _The Adventures of Li the Badger Mole_ to her five times! And there had been a thing called broccoli with dinner, which she had been unsure about at first. Then Mama had said that it looked like trees, and Bolin had said that she could be pretend to be a big huge tree-eating giant. So she tried it and it was actually good! _And_ Suyin had even allowed her to keep all her blocks in place until tomorrow.

By the time evening came, she was all good-tired and ready for bath and bed. Mama had something a bit different planned tonight, though.

"Suyin and I have been discussing the matter," Mama said, "And we have reached the conclusion that you are now big enough to have your own bedroom."

Her own bedroom? As in, not with Mama? Then where would Mama sleep?

As it turned out, it wouldn't be Mama who was moving, but Kinalik herself. Mama showed her the new room. All of Kinalik's stuff was already there.

"We did this while you were occupied with Bolin," Mama explained. "Do you see how it is right next to mine? I will be in here to bathe you and put you to bed, and I will also awaken you the next morning. If you can be a big girl and stay here on your own this entire night, you may have a cookie with tomorrow's lunch."

It was a bit scary thinking about being alone. But Kinalik wanted to be a big girl. And she also wanted a cookie. So after her bath was done and she was put in the new bed, she exchanged a double thumb-kiss with Mama and stayed put.

And she almost did it for the whole night, except that when it was starting to be day out she woke up from a bad dream and forgot she was supposed to be big, and ran into Mama's room. She still got half a cookie, however, and then the next night she remembered for the entire night and got a whole cookie! There weren't any more cookies after that, but now it wasn't really scary anymore.

\---------------------------------------------------------------------------

Opal was extremely excited about her upcoming birthday. This was the first time she would celebrate with her entire family since her seventeenth birthday five years ago! That last week, the days had seemed to pass by as slowly as sweet soy sauce.

When the day finally arrived, Opal hugged her pillow to her chest and grinned to herself as soon as she woke up. Today was going to be great!

"You awake?" Bolin asked from the other side of the bed.

"M-hm."

He instantly shot out of bed as if he were propelled by a Future Industries engine, and burst into an impromptu song while clapping to keep the rhythm.

"Happy happy birthday! Today you're twenty-two! And…I'm not good with songs, but…I love you! Hey, that actually rhymed!"

Opal beamed and said, "Best song _ever_." Bolin did a little bow while she applauded. Then, he could contain his excitement no longer, and jumped back on the bed to tackle her.

"Ow!" Opal cried out as he embraced her chest. He drew back immediately.

"Oh no! What happened? Did I hurt you? I'm sorry." He looked at her shamefacedly.

"No, it's fine. I'm not hurt. It's just…sometimes I think you don't know your own strength," Opal told him. She briefly entertained the idea of adding more information…but no. Not yet.

"Well, uh…" Bolin said, momentarily thrown off his groove. He quickly brightened up again, though, and asked, "Do you want to open your present now or wait until tonight? Not to put any pressure on you, but…the suspense is kind of killing me."

And there he went with the polar bear dog eyes. Opal giggled.

"Sure, why not now?" she said. Bolin skipped over to his dresser and took out a rectangular package from where it had been hiding under a pile of undershirts. The wrapping may have been slightly sloppy-looking, yet it covered the entirety of the surface, and Opal felt that was all that mattered; Bolin had had problems with that in the past. When he handed it to her, she thought it felt like books. And her guess was proven correct as she tore off the paper.

"How did you know I was looking for these?" she exclaimed.

"To tell the truth…we didn't," Bolin admitted. "We just chose some that we were hoping you didn't have already."

"We…oh! That must have been that secret errand that you did with Eska!"

"Yep."

"Well, thank you so much! And give Eska my thanks too," she said before pulling him into a kiss. It was only with great difficulty that she managed to extricate herself a few minutes later.

"No birthday sex until tonight, okay?" she said. "We should join everyone else for breakfast now."

Bolin let out a little "Awww…" of disappointment, but did as he was told.

After they all enjoyed a meal of scrambled eggs, scallion pancakes, and fruit, more people had gifts to give to Opal. Everyone in her family seemed intent on spoiling her today. Mom and Dad gave her a beautiful silver necklace with a jade pendant. ("To bring out your eyes," Mom said.) Baatar had come downstairs for breakfast, and had even cut his hair for the occasion. His gift to her was a series of sketches of the Eastern Air Temple.

"I happened to be in the area a couple of years ago, and we'd hit a bit of a lull in our…progress…so I decided to pay a visit," he explained. "And you haven't been there yet, right? I'm sorry I didn't get these to you before. Last year I was in jail, and the year before that…"

He trailed off, but his meaning was clear: Kuvira had forbidden it. In any case, the drawings were beautiful and made Opal want to see the real thing. She told her brother so while hugging him tight.

All Huan would say about _his_ present was, "It shall be revealed tonight." Whatever it was must have been quite a project, judging by the size of that covered-up area in the courtyard.

Eska remained virtually silent for the entire day, but Opal caught her sending over appraising glances every now and then.

Everyone then proceeded to go their separate ways until dinnertime. It was Opal's other favorite meal–coconut shrimp curry with kale, served over rice. The chef had taken orders for every person's preferred level of spice, from no heat for Kinalik to might-as-well-launch-yourself-into-the-sun for Wing. Before they could eat, though, the family tradition had to be carried out: the birthday toast. Every adult had been given a small cup of sake for the purpose.

"To my only daughter," Mom said. "Happy twenty-second birthday, and may there be many more to come!"

Everyone raised their glasses. While all the other people drank, Opal only raised the rim of her cup to her lips and set it down again. She thought she had done it subtly enough that no one had noticed…then she saw Eska's eyes on her again. Drat. Had she guessed?

The meal, however, was delicious enough that Opal could put her worries aside momentarily. Even Kinalik liked it. She even consented to eat two bites of kale once they had been properly buried in other food.

For dessert, Chef had outdone himself with an in-season strawberry layer cake (Opal's favorite fruit), complete with icing and twenty-two candles. To her disappointment, Opal could only eat a small piece. Maybe curry hadn't been the best choice of a meal, all things considered.

"It's all right," Mom told her. "There's plenty for tomorrow! And I'm certain that _everyone_ will remember to save you some." She shot a Look at Wei and Wing.

"Well, if everyone's done, we've gotta go apply some finishing touches," Huan announced. Opal made note of how he grabbed Desna's hand on the way out.

Right now, though, she had some more pressing issues to take care of. Such as the fact that Desna's sister was continuing to stare at her.

"We need to converse," she told Opal as she walked up. The airbender thought she knew exactly what Eska wanted to talk about.

"Okay, how about in my room?" she asked.

"That is an acceptable location."

Once the door to the room was closed, Eska walked over to her without preamble, laid her hand on Opal's lower abdomen, and nodded briskly.

"Just as I suspected. You are pregnant," she stated as she withdrew her hand. "Were you aware?"

"Uh…yeah, I was pretty sure," Opal answered. Eska's expression was as unfathomable as ever. Opal found herself backing towards the door a couple of steps. What would she do if the waterbender were to fall into a sudden rage?

"Was it unwanted? Is that why you chose not to divulge this information? If so, I shall escort you back to my native land. I am acquainted with a woman there who will solve the problem."

 _She doesn't seem mad at all_ , Opal thought. Whatever Eska may have been lacking in social skills and tact, she appeared to be sincerely trying to help in her own odd way.

"Thank you very much, Eska, but I won't need that," she said. "I was just waiting another week to tell everyone. You know, so I could be sure."

"But I have confirmed it for you now. So any further delay would be unnecessary."

"Huh, yeah, I guess you're right," Opal said with a timorous laugh. "To tell the truth…I'm a bit nervous."

"About Bolin's reaction?"

"Oh, no, I know _he'll_ be happy about it. It's just…we kind of didn't tell anyone that we were trying for a baby," she confessed. They knew that Mako would have tried to talk them out of it. Still, Opal had wanted to be a mother for as long as she could remember; she recalled being barely three and pretending that the twins were her babies. And seeing Pema with her kids at Air Temple Island had only made the desire stronger. She'd brought this up with Bolin, and they had decided to start having kids sooner rather than later. So Opal had calculated when she would be ovulating, and they decided to give it a try to see what would happen. Then Eska and Desna and Kinalik had shown up two days later, and they had been preoccupied with moving Kinalik to Zaofu around the time Opal missed her first cycle. She had only started to put the pieces together a few days ago.

She felt her face flush as she added, "I really wasn't expecting it to work the first time."

"It only took once for me as well," Eska remarked.

"Yeah, that's weird, isn't it?"

Eska pondered that for a moment, and then intoned, "Bolin and his magical spermatozoa."

There was a brief pause as Opal processed this, and then she burst out into somewhat shocked and _very_ loud laughter. After a couple of seconds, Eska followed suit. True, her laugh was a bit…unusual…but Opal was not about to be mean and say anything about it; especially not when Eska had somehow found the perfect remark to defuse the tension.

"I believe that this is the first time that anyone other than my brother has found one of my humorous quips to be humorous," Eska commented once they had to stop for air and to wipe the tears out of their eyes.

"Well, good for you," Opal said. And she meant it. She noted that Eska had a surprisingly gorgeous smile. It was full-toothed, and lit her whole face up. Unfortunately, Eska got the wrong idea when she saw Opal looking at her, and covered her mouth with her hand.

"No, don't do that!" Opal implored.

"My mother always said it was unseemly for a lady to show her dentition," Eska explained.

"Well, she was wrong," Opal said stoutly. But the moment had already passed.

"Ah yes. I nearly forgot," Eska said abruptly. "I have a gift for you as well." She stepped out of the room, and returned with another book-shaped package. And once again, Opal's book intuition proved correct. As she tore off the paper, the title revealed itself to be _Week by Week: The Ultimate Pregnancy Guide_.

"I apologize for the gimmicky title," Eska said. "Having read all of the tomes that my palace's library offered on the subject, I deemed this to be the best one despite the title. I picked it up while I was assisting Bolin with his errand. If I had been proven mistaken in my guess, or if you didn't wish to carry to term, I would have simply saved it for a later time."

"Oh, Eska…" was all Opal could say.

"Do you dislike it?" Eska was winding a fringe from her sash around her finger.

"Don't be silly! Of course I love it!" Opal exclaimed. "May I hug you?"

"I suppose. Take care to not induce my asphyxiation."

Opal tried to embrace the smaller woman as gently as she could. Then she backed off.

"You really are a good person," she said. "Although I'm not sure you even know it."

"I am actually an execrable individual, but thank you anyway," Eska drawled as her finger wandered back to the fringe.

How could Opal get Eska to have more self-confidence that was not of the toxic variety? She had a thought. It would be a risky proposition. But the greater the risk, the greater the potential reward.

"I wonder…" she began, only to be cut off by a knock on the door.

"Opal? Are you in there?" Mom asked. "Huan's ready to do the big unveiling!"

"Honestly, I should have anticipated that," Eska grumbled. However, she followed Opal out of the room. Bolin was waiting for them in the living room.

"What were you two laughing so loudly about?" he asked.

"I'll tell you after this," Opal said.

\---------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Why isn't she here yet?" Huan demanded. "Doesn't she want to see?" He paced around the courtyard, playing with his fidget cube at top speed.

Desna admitted, "I am uncertain what is delaying her, yet I am confident that she will arrive shortly."

Just then, there was a shout of "Here we are!" Suyin ran over to them, followed closely by Opal, Eska, and Bolin. Huan breathed a sigh of relief.

"Sorry we're late," Opal said. "But I can't wait to see what that mysterious thing is!"

"It will be revealed right now," Huan replied. "Desna, will you help me with the tarp?"

They whisked the covering off, and Opal's eyes lit up.

"You did all this for _me_?" she breathed. "It's so beautiful! You've outdone yourself, Huan."

"So you don't mind that a couple of the flowers are a little crooked?" Huan asked. He had still been slightly worried about that, no matter how many times Desna had attempted to reassure him.

"Well, I didn't notice, but now that I am, I think it's actually better that way. It makes it look…more authentic."

Desna shot Huan an _I told you so_ look.

"Now all that's left is to turn it on!" Baatar Senior exclaimed; he looked beside himself with intellectual excitement. The mechanism was able to be turned on and off by metalbending. Since Baatar Senior was a nonbender, the honor of activating it fell to Huan. The latter took a deep breath before pointing at a spot on the ground. Desna could feel the water coming up through the pump, and then it shot out of the fountain effortlessly and fell into the basin.

"It works! It actually works!" Huan cried. In his moment of jubilation, he grabbed Desna and planted a kiss right on his lips. Desna was briefly caught off-guard due to the speed of events and this being his first kiss. Still, as soon as he got his wits around him, he kissed Huan back.

When they broke apart, Desna's heart was pounding; although he had never felt a similar sensation before, he presumed this was what was referred to as exhilaration. It appeared that from Huan's elevated facial color and dilated pupils that he was feeling similarly. Desna scanned the crowd for their reactions. Suyin and Baatar Senior were smiling approvingly. Baatar Junior's expression remained neutral. Bolin and Opal applauded. Kinalik hadn't appeared to have noticed; she was more interested in the fountain. Wei and Wing appeared to be having a little discussion.

"All right…pay up!" one of them exclaimed.

"Okay, _okay_ ," the other one grumbled as he handed over a hundred-yuan note.

"They bet over everything. Don't take it personally," Huan informed him. And he was correct. No sooner had the money been exchanged than Wei and Wing started whispering again.

"Yeah, I'll take that bet, Wing," said Wei (the one who had lost the previous bet). "Not gonna happen."

What Desna was looking for most, however, was his sister's reaction. When he finally made eye contact with her, she gave him a sad little smile, but nodded her head in assent.

After Huan thanked his father for his assistance (and Baatar Senior thanked him in return for giving him a new project to do), he and Desna wandered off to a more private location; the gazebo in the back.

"Everything important to my family happens in this gazebo. It is a well-known fact," Huan told him. "My mom proposed to my dad here."

"I see."

"Does this mean we're, like, officially boyfriends now?" Huan asked.

"I suppose it does."

" _Finally_. Wanna kiss some more?"

"That sounds like an ideal plan to me."

It was quite late by the time they returned to the house.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The funny thing is, a few days after I posted this chapter on ff.net, my own parents gave _me_ a necklace for my birthday!


	13. In Which Tension Builds

Bolin's reaction to the news was not exactly quiet. In fact, he yelled, "ARE YOU SERIOUS?!" at the top of his lungs before emitting a shriek of jubilation that was almost superhuman in both pitch and volume. Pabu leapt off the bed, ran across the room at top speed, and jumped on top of the dresser, from where he scolded his master roundly.

Probably everyone in the house had heard. Oh well.

Once Bolin calmed down, he observed at a more normal volume, "Wow, I think I just lost a lot of Man Points."

"Well, obviously you have plenty to spare," Opal said once her ears had stopped ringing. "I take it you are happy?"

"Opal." He lifted her onto his lap and turned up her chin so her eyes would meet his. "This is the happiest that I've felt in my entire life. I mean…I'm gonna be a dad! Again!"

He kissed her then, and continued to look at her intently.

"You feeling okay?" he asked. "Not puking? I don't really know what else happens."

"Not yet," Opal told him. "Although I might have gotten a little queasy at dinner. Mostly I've been really tired and needing to pee a lot. Oh, and my boobs are a bit sore. That's why you need to be careful with hugging me."

"Oh. Sorry."

"It's all right. You didn't know."

Bolin lowered his hand until it was hovering in the vicinity of Opal's belly button, and asked, "Is this where it is?"

"A bit lower. Between the hip bones," Opal answered.

"So around here?"

"I think so."

"Can you feel it kick yet?" he asked eagerly.

He did not know the first thing about pregnancy. It was oddly adorable.

"That won't be for another three months. At least," she told him.

"Awwww…" He pouted, but got over it quickly.

"When were you planning to tell everyone else?" he inquired as he stroked her hair.

"Good question. Tomorrow morning, I guess. Eska already knows, by the way."

"She does?"

"Yeah. I think she actually had it figured out before I did."

"So that was what you were talking about after dinner?"

"Yep."

They sat quietly for a few minutes. Bolin's hand was still resting on Opal's lower abdomen, and she had leaned her head into his chest.

Finally, Bolin said, "So…about the birthday sex…"

"Oh, you _pervert_!" Opal said in a mock-scandalized tone as she swatted his nose.

"Sorry. Sorry. I just wanted to know…is it still, you know, allowed?"

"It's okay. I was joking," Opal assured him. Then, "As far as I know, as long as the pregnancy doesn't have any problems, it's safe. And guess what?"

"What?"

"We won't need to use condoms for almost eight months!"

"Yay!" Bolin cheered. Opal let herself fall back onto the bed, and everything was slow and gentle and beautiful.

\---------------------------------------------------------------------------

They were not being indiscreet about it by any means. Still, Eska was aware of what they were doing, thick walls or not. Every so often, a creak of the bed or a moan was just discernible.

At first, she had tried to ignore it. However, for reasons unknown, she developed a familiar tightness between her legs. She had had no choice but to make it go away, feeling disgusted with herself the entire time for her voyeuristic tendencies. She achieved orgasm within three minutes, yet it was a disappointing one that provided little relief. Therefore, she attempted another one, yet was unsuccessful in this endeavor. By the time she finally gave up, the activity in the neighboring room had long since ceased.

She snarled as she stomped over to her bathroom, and took her frustration out on her hands as she scrubbed them until the skin stung.

Emotions were tiresome things, which was why Eska avoided them whenever possible. This time, though, she decided to sit back on the bed while she puzzled out exactly what she was feeling.

Was it anger? At herself, perhaps; not at them. Envy? She certainly had no desire to be pregnant at this time. Anxiety? Maybe. But what about? Was she worried about Kinalik's loss of status as Bolin's only child, as well as her own status as the mother of his only child? She thought that this was likely; however, it accounted for about half of her worry. The other portion remained nebulous. Then it came to her.

 _She was afraid of being left out_.

Eska breathed a sigh of irritation. This entire line of thought was ridiculous. What was more, it was time for her to prepare her daughter for bed.

\---------------------------------------------------------------------------

The next morning, Opal had all of her family gather in the living room. She and Bolin sat on a couch holding hands as they faced the others.

"So, we have something to tell you all," Opal began. She took a deep breath to calm her nerves, and announced, "We're having a baby!"

The room erupted. Mom made an exclamation of joy. Wei and Wing ran over to high-five her. Even Huan smiled, walked over, and said, "Uh, congratulations, I guess." And that was about as effusive as Opal had ever seen him.

After this initial outburst, Opal ran over to Mom and Dad and hugged them.

"How wonderful, honey!" Mom breathed. Then, to Dad, "Our first grandchild!"

Opal heard footsteps leaving the room, and she peeped over Mom's shoulder. She got just a quick glimpse of Baatar before the door closed behind him. She realized that he had been the only person not to say anything, and thought that she would probably have to go talk to him. Right now, though, she was distracted by Bolin hurrying over.

"Hey! Don't I get in on the hug too?" he asked. Mom raised one arm to allow him entrance. Then Wei and Wing decided they wanted to join in as well. Things were getting a bit crowded. Fortunately, Mom seemed to sense that Opal was getting overwhelmed, and said, "All right, everyone! Let's give her some breathing room!"

Once the crowd had dispersed, Mom said, "Shoot. If I had known about this before, I would have taken you shopping for your birthday. Well, no matter. We can go now. And I'll give my doctor a call to see if she can squeeze you in today. I'll just have to tell Eska that Kinalik's lesson will be a bit later."

"Sounds good," Opal replied. "There's just a little thing I wanted to take care of first." Once Mom left the room, Bolin shot her a curious glance. Opal gestured over at Baatar's empty chair.

She didn't have to go far to find him. He was standing in the dining room, looking out the window.

"I knew you were going to show up soon," he said without turning his head. "I…that was rude of me. I'm sorry. I am happy for you."

"Well, obviously _something's_ bothering you," Opal replied, hands on hips.

"Yes."

"Do you want to talk about it?"

Baatar finally turned to look at her.

"Promise you won't laugh?" he asked.

"I promise."

"Well…" He pursed his lips and blew a stream of air through them. "It's just that…Kuvira and I had been talking about starting a family. And right before Republic City–like a day or two before–she said she thought she might be pregnant. It was early, and we'd wanted to get everything out of the way first, so we decided to keep it to ourselves. And then…you know what happened. And of course, there was no baby. So either she was mistaken, she lied, or she miscarried."

Opal gaped.

"And you haven't told anyone about it until now?" she asked.

"Why would I? It's not like it's important," he snapped.

"It was important to _you_ ," Opal pressed. All this time, he had been grieving for a potential life that had either been lost or had never existed…and none of them had had a clue.

He rubbed his beard and said, "I guess that's why I fell for Eska so hard. When I met Kinalik…you know how she wraps everyone around her little finger. I was looking forward to meeting her mom, and Eska exceeded even my expectations. And then we just clicked…I felt like I'd been given a second chance."

"Maybe you should talk with someone who has more expertise in helping process this stuff," Opal suggested. "I'm really happy that you were able to confide in me, but…have you thought about seeing a therapist? I know Huan has his group, and it seems to help him."

"I tried once. But I wasn't ready to talk about things yet, so it didn't get very far."

"Do you think you could talk about them now?"

"Maybe." He looked a little surprised at this revelation.

Opal realized that she'd been here for longer than she had thought, and said, "Well, I'm going to have to go now. Mom will be looking for me."

"Sure. And…"

"Yes?"

"Thank you."

\---------------------------------------------------------------------------

"There you are!" Mom said when she got back to the living room. "I spoke with Dr. Zhou, and she can see you in half an hour. So we'd better hurry!"

"Can I come too?" Bolin asked as he bounced up from a chair. Mom looked at him askance.

"I'll be really really quiet! You won't even know I'm there!" he promised. He drew a finger across his mouth to pantomime zipping it closed. Mom relented, possibly because she was afraid that they'd be late if they kept talking about it.

Dr. Zhou had been Mom's gynecologist since the city was founded. Since Opal had left Zaofu before she was sexually active, though, she'd never had an appointment with Dr. Zhou herself. She turned out to be a stout, pleasant woman a few years older than Mom. She approved of Bolin's presence as well, saying, "So many men think they're too _manly_ to attend prenatal visits! What nonsense."

Surprisingly, Bolin mostly kept to his word about being quiet, only speaking when asked a question during the history-taking. And he stayed for the whole thing except for the pelvic exam, when he had to step out because "that thing looks scary!" No one really blamed him.

Once that was taken care of, and Bolin had rejoined them, it was time to discuss their pregnancy and birth plans.

"Well, I'm going to probably have the rest of my checkups in Republic City," Opal said. "But…I think I'd like to come back to have the baby here. And I'd like to avoid the hospital if at all possible." She'd hated those ever since she'd had to stay in one for several days as a child with an abscessed throat. And she didn't think that Bolin cared for them much either after his knee injury.

Mom replied, "That shouldn't be a problem. An is still in practice." An was the midwife who had attended the births of Baatar Junior, Huan, and Opal; Mom had had to go to the hospital as a precaution with the twins.

After this, Dr. Zhou took blood and urine samples. Opal disliked needles as much as hospitals for the same reason, so Bolin held Opal's hand during the blood drawing despite looking uncomfortable himself. And then it was finally time to go shopping.

They went to several different stores, and their purchases included ginger and peppermint in both candy and tea forms, antacids, several different kinds of body lotion, some special bindings that provided extra support, a body pillow, and–much to Opal's embarrassment–incontinence pads. ("Trust me. You'll need them." was all Mom said when Opal protested.)

Each time they went to pay for their things at a store, the checkout person would recognize them and offer exuberant congratulations, and each time, Mom would give a tight kind of smile and say, "We're keeping it within the family for now." Meaning, "If you blab to the press, you'll have me to deal with."

Mom had also wanted to stop at the bookstore, but Opal told her that Eska had already gotten her a book.

"Did she now?" Mom asked. "How very thoughtful of her!" She had a strange little smile; it almost looked triumphant.

Opal was too tired to figure it out, though. By the time everything was accomplished, she was starting to nod off on Bolin's shoulder during the monorail ride home. She thought that a nap was in order before lunch.

\---------------------------------------------------------------------------

While Opal was resting, Bolin decided to call Mako. They hadn't spoken since their last disaster of a conversation. However, Bolin was willing to overlook that now that he had such great news to share.

Mako's reaction hadn't been what Bolin had expected or hoped for, though. He paused for a few seconds, then said, "Bolin. You have a kid already."

"We didn't know about that then!" Bolin protested. He was _not_ going to allow Mako to ruin his day again.

To his relief, Mako answered, "Yeah. Okay. That was a dumb thing for me to say. I would not have recommended it…but if you're happy, then I'm happy."

"Yippee!" cheered Bolin. They could only put off the inevitable subject for so long, though.

"So about the last time we talked…" he began.

Mako exhaled before saying, "I'm really, _really_ sorry about how that went down, bro. I was thinking…well, I'm not sure _what_ I was thinking. I guess I just thought that first you were too young, and then that things were going so well that I didn't want to just spring it on you."

"Well, okay…but I still don't know how to get a job," Bolin pointed out.

"I'm already working on that," Mako informed him. Bolin perked up.

"You are?"

"Yeah. There are classes that adults with learning problems can take. I told you, Bolin, you are not the only person who has difficulty with reading. And Chief Beifong's trying to get you scheduled for a neuropsych eval. It's a kind of test so they can see exactly what you need."

"Sounds…complicated."

"And they can sometimes take months to set up, so she's trying to expedite it. That means make it go faster. So be sure to thank her when you get back."

"I will!" Bolin exclaimed. This information left him feeling much better about his relationship with Mako. And it must have taken some talking on his part to convince Beifong to help, since she'd never seemed to be anything except annoyed with him.

"And…I know I screwed up big this time, Bolin, so I'm trying to make things right now," Mako said. They could sense that the conversation was coming to an end, so they exchanged their farewells and hung up.

Shortly thereafter, Suyin walked into the house with a tearful Kinalik, who had fallen and scraped her knee during practice. She was attempting to pull her tunic down to cover it as she walked; Bolin guessed that she was scared to look at it. By the time that they got her calmed down and the wound cleaned and bandaged, it was time for lunch and Opal had woken up.

"Can we talk about something once we're done eating?" Opal asked Bolin while they were eating their sandwiches. Bolin's mouth was full, so he just nodded.

Opal led him over to the new fountain after lunch.

"It's so beautiful, isn't it?" she asked.

"That's what you wanted to talk about?"

"No, you silly! What I wanted to talk about was this."

And she told him.

"Well, I'm okay with it if she is," Bolin said when she was done talking. "Were you thinking tonight?"

"Maybe. But there's no rush."

\---------------------------------------------------------------------------

It was odd being in an official relationship, Desna thought. He would have never been allowed to do so in the place of his birth. Even his most outrageous fantasies about Bolin had involved them meeting in secret. Here, however, they thought nothing of two males being romantically involved. They walked through the central sector holding hands, and people either didn't notice or gave them a quick smile before returning to whatever it was they were doing.

"My group is this afternoon," Huan had told him. "Wanna come so I can introduce you to everyone?" Desna had accepted.

"This "group" turned out to be a collection of approximately ten people who looked to be in their late teens and twenties, who filed into the room one or two at a time over the span of about fifteen minutes. Many of them were adorned with multiple piercings, and sported hairstyles that made Huan's look tame in comparison. A few even had tattoos. By the time that everyone was there, Desna's boyfriend was practically vibrating with excitement and impatience. Thankfully, the leader of the group caught onto this right away.

"Did you have someone you wanted to introduce to us, Huan?" she asked. Huan breathed a sigh of relief, and draped one arm around Desna's shoulder.

"So, like, this is my new boyfriend and his name is Desna. He's from the Northern Water Tribe."

" _The_ Desna?" a person with a buzz-cut and tongue ring blurted.

"Bai. Wait your turn to speak, please," the group leader admonished.

"It is all right," Desna said. And addressing Bai, "Yes. _The_ Desna."

" _Wow_ ," Bai breathed.

"Well, welcome to our group, Desna!" the leader said as she beamed. " My name is Liu. Will everyone please introduce themselves to our guest?"

There was Bai, of course. And Lian and Heng and Ji and Shu…try as he might, Desna couldn't quite remember all the names.

Once the introductions were complete, Liu had everyone hand in their "homework." Only about half of them had actually done it, but Huan had been one of those who did. Then they appeared to be continuing a discussion which had been started at the last meeting about learning to control anxiety while in public places; try as he might to follow it, Desna was soon lost. All he could do for the rest of the session was at least pretend like he was understanding it.

"So what did you think?" Huan asked later as they were walking back to the monorail.

"It was…interesting," Desna said in an attempt to be polite.

"It's okay if you didn't like it. Mom makes me go to them. To be honest, it's boring a lot of the time, and most of the people there are pretty stupid. Sometimes we go do fun things, though."

"I see," Desna replied. He had had no objections to the other people in the group. He supposed that he hadn't known them for long enough to get an adequate measure of their intellects, but they had been welcoming and accepting of him. And right now, he felt that this was what he needed most.

After the monorail ride back to the house had been completed, Huan turned to Desna again.

"I have something to confess," he said.

"Oh?"

"I kind of lied about the fountain."

"How could you have lied about it?" Desna asked. "It is right over there. Or have we all been hallucinating it the entire time?"

"No, the fountain's real. What I mean is, I never actually needed your help. I would have picked the same design regardless of what you said. It's just…I couldn't think up any other plausible way to get to know you. I was worried that it'd be weird if I just came up and started talking."

He hung his head in shame, but Desna was not angry about the small deception. In fact, he had been suspecting something like that for a while now, and said as much.

"So you still want to be boyfriends with me?" Huan asked hopefully as he looked back up.

"I continue to find that arrangement to be beneficial," Desna replied.

\---------------------------------------------------------------------------

Eska went to consult with Suyin about Kinalik's progress. She found the older woman in her study.

"I have heard that my daughter acquired an abrasion on her knee today," she said. Kinalik had told her all about it, and actually appeared to find the matter exciting now that the shock had worn off. "To the best of my knowledge, such a thing has never happened to her previously."

"Well, that would explain why she was so terrified of looking at it," Suyin said. "But there is some good news. No wall this time. She just made a crack in the ground."

"What were the dimensions of said crack?"

"A couple feet long. Maybe a few inches deep. Not wide at all. But if we've got her down to just doing that…well, I don't know what property damages she might incur, but it's not going to endanger her life. Korra should be able to take over from here."

"Then we shall depart as soon as possible. Maybe even the day after tomorrow," Eska informed her.

"Well, of course you're welcome to stay as long as you want…"

"No. We shall not impose on you any longer."

As she left the room, she hoped that she had sounded more certain of herself than she felt. She and Desna would have much to do once they returned to Republic City. Of course, they would be allowed to live in the Sato estate for a while, but eventually they would have to purchase their own house. And there was the question of money; their inheritance would support them for a while, but it was not as large as they had been hoping. (Father had evidently not counted on his children being exiled.) Sooner or later, one or both of them would have to find a job. A ludicrous image arose in her head of the two of them waiting on tables.

And she'd have to come to some sort of arrangement with Bolin and Opal, too. They would have to determine whether Eska would have full custody of Kinalik, or whether they would share it. Naturally, any arrangement would have to be agreeable for their daughter as well. There would also be the issue of finding a proper school for Kinalik.

All of these things would be time-consuming, but she believed they were doable.

Shortly thereafter, Desna returned from his excursion with Huan, and Eska informed him of her decision. Desna's brow furrowed.

"I had been hoping to further establish my romantic endeavor before departing," he protested.

"You may take the object of your affection with you," Eska assured him.

"But I am not certain that he would want to leave. I shall discuss the matter with him tonight. Perhaps we can work out something long-distance." He turned and walked away without another word.

Eska had not been expecting resistance from _Desna_ of all people. She had been willing to accommodate him, yet he had still seemed unsatisfied. Suddenly she felt very alone. Desna and Huan had each other, and Bolin and Opal had each other. That left Eska with no one except for Kinalik, whom she loved dearly…yet that was not quite the same.

What, or who, did she want, then? She was uncertain.

She sulked through dinnertime, trying not to look too much at Bolin feeding Opal the choicest bits off his plate. However, when she announced her plans for departure as the leftover cake was brought out, she saw them exchange an odd look. They went straight to their bedroom after dinner, and were having what sounded like an earnest conversation. Try as she might, however, Eska couldn't make out what they were actually saying.

She attempted to occupy herself with caring for her daughter, bringing out all of Kinalik's bath toys and reading four different books to her. Yet there was only so long that the child could stay awake, and Eska finally arranged the sheets and blankets around her, turned the light off, and closed the door.

When she got back to her own room, she dragged her suitcase into the center of the room and opened it, intending to get a head start on her packing. Scarcely had she started, though, when she saw something being slid under her door out of the corner of her eye.

It turned out to be a short note.

_Come meet us in our room when you're ready. We want to ask you something._

Her curiosity was piqued. Therefore, she finished folding the tunic that she currently had in her hands, placed it into the suitcase, and left the room to walk next door.

She took a deep breath and knocked.

\---------------------------------------------------------------------------

Desna wondered what he was going to do.

He couldn't ask Huan to leave his home on such short notice; he knew that. But he couldn't abandon his sister either.

Yes, a visit to Huan's room was in order, so they could figure out exactly where things stood. And maybe…would this be an opportune time to confide his secret, the details of which not even Eska knew? And also…no, he was getting ahead of himself. For now, he should only focus on the talking.

Desna left his room and walked down the long corridor. Having never actually been in Huan's room before, he hoped he had located the correct door; this house had an entire wing dedicated to bedrooms.

He took a deep breath and knocked.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next chapter...what you've all been waiting for!


	14. In Which They Do It!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just a few minutes ago, I wrote the words "THE END" on the rough draft of the final regular chapter, so I'm a little emotional right now. Anyway...about THIS chapter...this is your final warning that this chapter and the next one are sex scenes. I hope you all like it; I did try to make sure that it was realistic as well as hot.
> 
> I believe that I will keep this rated M for now, since I was trying to focus more on the sensations and emotions than the body parts and physical actions, so it's not as explicit as it could be.

Opal opened the door and beckoned Eska to come inside. No sooner had the door closed behind her than Bolin leapt from his perch on the bed and ran over.

"Wanna have a threesome?" he asked eagerly. Opal nudged him in the ribs.

"Bolin! That was _not_ how you were supposed to ask!" she scolded. She was smiling while she said it, though.

"How _was_ I supposed to ask, then?"

"You were supposed to lead up to it! We don't want to scare her away."

"It is all right. I am not scared," Eska told them. "But I am not certain I understand the meaning of that word."

"Maybe we should sit down to talk about this?" Opal suggested. She and Bolin plopped down near the head of the bed; Eska chose to perch near a corner. She saw Bolin's pet looking at them from his small bed in the corner of the room; he evidently decided that nothing of interest to him was going on, and went back to sleep.

Opal explained, "A threesome would be all of us having sex. Together. We're sorry to spring it on you like this, but we thought we'd better ask now before you left."

"And how exactly do three people do such a thing?" Eska inquired.

"There are a lot of ways. That's one of the things we'd have to figure out."

The idea was intriguing. She had seen mentions of such liaisons in a few books in the library at the palace, but they had never gone into any details.

"Take your time to think about it," Opal urged.

"We're happy to wait until you're sure," Bolin added. "One way or another."

They did not have to wait long. Eska realized within seconds that _this_ had been that mysterious thing she had wanted all along. She wanted them…both of them. If Desna could be in a relationship with another man, and Korra had Asami, was it really that odd for Eska to be attracted to another woman?

After about two minutes of deliberation, she informed them, "I wish to proceed." Then, to Bolin, "What will we do now?"

Bolin cleared his throat and stated, "To be honest, it was Opal's idea, and I don't know much more about this stuff than you do. So yeah, what _do_ we do, Opal?"

"Well, before we actually get started, we should take some time to talk about exactly what it is we all want from this," Opal stated, suddenly all business. "That's what the books say, anyway."

"Books?" Eska asked.

"My mom has a pretty big collection of them," Opal said. "She's let me read them since I was twelve. Although I might have been sneaking them into my room for a year or two before then."

"She is not nearly as demure and innocent as she appears," Eska commented to Bolin.

"Tell me about it!" he answered.

"You're one to talk, Bolin," Opal remarked. "So…anyway, Eska, Bolin and I were talking about it, and we decided that we both wanted to focus on you. We know that this past month's been rough for you, and…we wanted to see if we could cheer you up."

"As it should be," Eska said, although she felt touched that they had noticed.

"And is there anything that _you_ want?" Opal prompted.

It was a question which required some thought. Eska's knowledge of various positions and techniques remained limited. She guessed that it wasn't so much a matter of what she wanted to do as much as _who_ she wanted to do it with.

"I would like to do something different with each of you. Whichever activity you think is best," she said.

"You mean…completely separately? Or can the third person also be involved in some way?"

"I presume that if the third person were absent, it could no longer be called a 'threesome.' Is that correct?"

"I guess it is. That okay with you, Bolin?"

"Yep."

"All right then, sounds like a plan. Now is there anything anyone really _doesn't_ want? I'm assuming that butt stuff is off the table?"

"You assumed correctly," Eska replied. She must have made an odd facial expression, because both Bolin and Opal chuckled.

"Okay, then. What about oral? Giving and receiving."

"I am not sure I would be comfortable with giving," Eska replied slowly. "Receiving may be interesting. I only hope that my hygienic practices are sufficient."

"I'm sure they are, but good point. We should probably all take a shower so everyone's comfortable. Is there anything else in particular that anyone would like to add?"

"Only that I do not wish to conceive at this time," Eska told her.

"Don't worry, we have that covered! Literally!" Bolin said. Opal groaned.

"That's one thing about being in a relationship with Bolin," she told Eska. "Be prepared for the worst puns ever. And the more that people hate them, the happier he is."

Eska was not certain that she understood why anyone would like people getting angry at their attempts at humor. In any case, Bolin was nodding in agreement with a quite smug look on his face.

She was turning to leave for her own room for her body cleansing when Opal held up a finger.

"Don't go yet, Eska! I remembered one more thing."

She turned to the night table, opened the drawer, and took out a rectangle of cloth. Eska noted that it was purple, which made her happy.

"It's a blindfold," Opal explained. "Bolin and I use it a lot. We find that it heightens the sensations."

If she wore that, she'd be putting all her trust in them. Still, the idea was intriguing. Cutting off visual input might actually be a good thing for her, to prevent sensory overload.

"I will attempt it," she told them.

"You're welcome to take it off at any time if it's not working," Opal assured her.

"I am aware. For the moment, however, I must return to my own room to commence preparations."

"Okay then! See you in a few!" Bolin said.

Eska did not linger in the shower, although she did make certain that her genitalia were properly soaped up and rinsed. While bending the water out of her hair, she examined herself in the mirror critically. The enlargement of her breasts from pregnancy and nursing had not lasted once Kinalik was weaned, unfortunately. She only hoped that what she had would not be displeasing.

She entertained the thought of returning to the other bedroom with no clothes on, but was worried that she might run into someone else in the hallway. Therefore, she decided to put on her bathrobe to cover her nakedness.

Opal appeared to also have just finished with her shower when Eska returned; she was also wearing a bathrobe and was sitting propped up on pillows. Eska could hear the water running in the bathroom; she guessed that it was Bolin's turn now.

"How about you sit here with me?" Opal prompted as she patted the other side of the bed. Eska did so. Opal slung an arm around her, and Eska decided to turn over on her side to scoot close enough for their bodies to make contact. She was not accustomed to cuddling with anyone except her daughter and brother, but decided that she might as well try. There would be plenty other areas of their bodies making contact tonight, after all.

It felt nice, Eska thought, particularly since Opal was letting her determine how close they would get. The airbender's body felt soft and curvy–possibly it was already beginning to be enhanced by the effects of pregnancy. In any case, it was very unlike Eska's own angular form. She idly wondered what was going to interrupt them _this_ time, and glanced up at the ceiling, curious as to whether it would cave in on them. Despite her worries, it did no such thing.

"Was there anything else you wanted to talk about?" Opal asked.

Eska considered. Finally, she answered, "I was curious as to exactly when you were decided that you were attracted to me."

"Oh, Korra's party, definitely."

"I believe it was the same for me. Although I did not recognize it as such at the time. I have not had much contact with women my age, so I assumed that what I was feeling was merely friendship. I am only just now realizing that it was more." The feeling was similar to how she felt for Bolin, yet not quite the same. With Bolin, there had been that strong feeling of physical lust. With Opal, the physical aspect was still present, but there was a strong emotional component too.

"I have been attracted to women before," Opal admitted. "Well, at least crushes. But that was before I became an airbender, and I was too shy to ever do anything about it."

Eska remembered what Opal had said earlier about everybody having had a crush on Kuvira, and arrived at the logical conclusion. However, she decided not to attempt to confirm her suspicions. Instead, she brushed a tentative kiss on Opal's lips.

It was better than her first kiss with Bolin, to be certain. For one thing, there were no saliva trails, and for another, the end of the world wasn't looming over their heads. She decided that she desired them to repeat it, so they did. Eska laid a hand on Opal's breast, being careful not to apply too much pressure. Before they could go any further, though, the background noise of running water ceased. It appeared that Bolin had completed his shower.

Judging from the tuneless humming that could now be heard in the bathroom, Bolin was as nervous and excited about this as Eska was. Then he walked out of the bathroom, and Eska saw that he had not put on a bathrobe...or any other clothing, for that matter. What was more, he had evidently used his shower time to do some advance preparation.

"You ready, ladies?" he asked while quirking an eyebrow. Opal burst out laughing.

"Next time, a warning before you decide to do this would be appropriate," Eska admonished. But was she averting her gaze? No. She had nearly four and a half years devoid of Bolin's physique for which to make up.

At any rate, if Bolin was going to take the initiative to remove his clothing, Eska thought that she should follow his lead. She reluctantly detached herself from Opal, removed her bathrobe and tossed it to the floor, not looking to see where it landed.

"You do not have to spare my feelings. I am aware that my body physically resembles that of a twelve-year-old," she remarked.

"Not with that, it doesn't!" Bolin answered. He reached over to a tuft of Eska's pubic hair and gave it a gentle tug. Both he and Opal appeared to find Eska's gasp of surprise to be gratifying.

Eska confessed, "I had forgotten about that. Should I have removed it as I did for my axillary hair?"

"Some people would think so," Opal told her. "But they're idiots. I still have mine, see?" She removed her own bathrobe. And so she did, although hers appeared to have been trimmed. Eska wondered if she should have done that. It hadn't occurred to her that it might get in the way…no. She must stop perseverating over this. She did not want to spoil the mood and have to rely on her own hand again.

To her gratitude, Opal changed the subject.

"Anyway, what I was actually thinking was that you're in great shape; I wouldn't even have been able to tell that you've ever had a baby if I hadn't known already," she said. "I can only hope that I'll be so lucky."

Since Eska had not seen the naked bodies of any other women who had given birth, she was uncertain how to respond.

"I would like to utilize the blindfold now," she said abruptly. Opal and Bolin exchanged looks and nodded at each other. The airbender took the cloth, folded it into a thin rectangle, and put it over Eska's eyes, tying it over the back of her head.

"Is this okay?" she asked. "It's not too tight, is it?"

"It is fine."

They assisted her in lying on the bed on her back, with her legs dangling off the edge and feet on the floor. For a few seconds, she heard the other two shuffling around. Then she felt the slightest brush of lips against skin near her left collarbone, as gentle as the stroke of a flutter bat's wing. That had to be Opal. Shortly thereafter, there was another kiss with somewhat less finesse placed on her right breast; that had to be Bolin. And then, suddenly, lips and tongues and hands were everywhere, kissing, licking, sucking, groping, and teasing. Eska decided that Opal had been correct about the blindfold; it really made every little sensation that much more intense. She had never known that such pleasure could be possible.

"You like this?" Opal asked. Eska attempted to reply, but could only moan in response as Bolin stuck his tongue in her belly button. Some time elapsed as Opal and Bolin continued their coordinated onslaught. Then one person backed off, and the other pressed kisses lower and lower on Eska's body. Then she heard Opal get off the bed and kneel on the floor between her legs.

"All right," Opal said. "This is the first time I've done this…with another woman, at least. I hope I'll do okay."

Eska gathered her breath and answered, "If it is anything like your previous actions, it should be perfectly acceptable. Oh."

It felt much different from her fingers; almost overwhelming. Thankfully, Opal started out slowly.

"Wow," Bolin whispered from his perch on the bed. From the sound of skin against skin, it was obvious that he found the visual to be extremely arousing. And it was not long at all before he made a little grunt indicating his climax.

In between panting breaths, Eska said, "Feeble turtleduck. We haven't even reached the good part yet." However, Opal had started speeding up, and as a few more minutes passed, it appeared that the "good part" was not as distant as Eska may have thought. The pulses of pleasure and tension were so strong, she fancied that she could feel them in her teeth. She attempted to warn the other woman about her impending release.

"It appears that I am close to…" she began, but was cut off as Opal flicked her tongue in exactly the right place. And she came. Hard. So hard that she let out an extended and very undignified whimper.

"You're a squirter," Opal observed. "Lucky you!"

The blindfold was starting to itch, and the knot was digging into the back of Eska's head, so she took it off. She saw that Bolin was still sitting to the right of her, and that Opal had grabbed a tissue from the night table and was wiping her face off.

"So whaddaya think? Ready for Round Two?" Bolin asked. It appeared that he already was, in any case.

Once Eska's heart rate had returned to almost normal, she said, "You are certainly not lacking for eagerness."

"How about we give it a few minutes?" Opal suggested. "You need to wash your hands anyway, Bolin." While Bolin obediently walked to the bathroom, Opal rummaged around in the night table drawer and retrieved a small metal box of the type that might hold candies, and then a glass bottle.

"Which substances do those contain?" Eska inquired.

"Condoms and lube," Opal answered, pointing to the box and the bottle in turn.

"Is my own natural lubrication not plentiful enough?" Eska asked. It certainly felt like there was enough.

"It probably is. But a little extra never hurts."

"I certainly hope that your mother has never taken it upon herself to organize the contents of that drawer," Eska commented.

Opal laughed. "I think she knows better."

"Here I am!" Bolin announced as he returned from his hand-washing. "My hands are, like, really super-clean. I bet in the whole history of the world, no one has had cleaner hands than I do now. See?" He held them up for inspection.

"I commend you on your hygienic achievement," Eska stated.

Bolin did a little bow while Opal said, "So how do you all want to do things this time?"

"I would like to reciprocate the sensations you elicited from me," Eska told her. "With my fingers, if that is all right."

"Sounds great," Opal replied as she stared at the bed. It appeared that she was attempting to picture various positions in her head.

"Okay, here's what I think would work best," she finally said. "Bolin, how about you and Eska spoon? And I can lie on my other side so I'm facing her."

"As you wish, Sifu Opal," Eska said. Bolin snorted.

They assumed the positions that Opal had described. Opal poured some of the contents of the bottle into her hand and applied them in the appropriate place. Then, with her other hand, she passed the bottle over Eska back to Bolin.

"This might feel a bit cold," he warned her.

"I am from the North Pole. I believe I can endure it," Eska replied. And she did so, without even wincing. Then she heard Bolin open the metal box and fumble with something.

"Why do they always make these so hard to open?" he complained. "It's like they don't want people to actually use them…ah, here we go!"

"Are you prepared for manual stimulation?" Eska asked Opal as she heard more fumbling behind her.

"Yeah."

"My mother always scolded me harshly for biting my fingernails. Little does she know that it actually had a use," Eska observed. While Opal opened her legs and Eska started rubbing, Bolin had gotten himself lined up. Eska inhaled sharply as he penetrated her.

"It doesn't hurt, does it?" he asked.

"It does not," Eska confirmed. However, it did feel slightly odd initially; she hadn't had anything larger than her own fingers inside her since she'd given birth. Her muscles soon grew accustomed to the stretch, though.

Pleasuring another woman was not so different from doing it to herself, Eska decided. Opal's favored external spot was in a slightly different location than Eska's, yet it was still relatively easy to locate. The only difficult part was trying to keep her hands steady while she was being thrust into.

Would she be able to achieve another orgasm herself? She had assumed that she wouldn't feel the need for another one after how powerful the first one had been, but now she was feeling the buildup again; more of a warmth than a tension this time. She groaned and arched her back, trying to get more direct pressure onto that one location inside her.

Opal saw this and hissed, " _Rub her clit_ ," to Bolin, who complied. And that took Eska over the edge. It was not as big an orgasm as the first one, yet it was satisfying nonetheless. Bolin didn't last much longer, and Opal took a couple of minutes longer but got there eventually.

Subsequently, they all lay there for a while. Everything–not to mention every _body_ –was soaked in sweat; Eska supposed she would have to shower again tomorrow morning. And she believed that there were many parts of her that would be slightly sore tomorrow, but she was willing to pay that price.

"So, uh…any thoughts?" Bolin finally asked.

"I need to pee really badly," Opal admitted.

"Me too," Eska said.

"Me three!" Bolin chimed in. Naturally, they permitted Opal to go first in deference to her condition, then Bolin and Eska did a number-guessing game to determine who'd get to go second. Eska won.

Once all of their bladders were empty, and the used condom had been dealt with, all three of them attempted to kiss each other simultaneously. It did not work out as they had hoped. Instead, all three of the two-person pairings kissed in turn. Then they resumed lying on the bed–on their backs this time, to give their body heat a chance to dissipate. Bolin glanced over into the corner, and observed, "Wow. I think Pabu slept through that whole thing."

"Did I do an adequate job?" Eska asked Opal.

"Yeah. It was great," Opal said, still a bit out of breath.

"It will get even better as your gestational period progresses and your bodily tissues vascularize. That was the case with me, at any rate." Eska wrinkled her brow, and then inquired, "Does this mean that we are all in relationships with each other now?"

"It doesn't have to," Opal replied. "It can just be a one-time thing if you want it to be."

"That is a matter that merits consideration." Then something occurred to her, and she gave a short laugh.

"What's so funny?" Bolin asked.

Eska replied, "I realized that Opal's mother got exactly what she wanted."

Opal narrowed her eyes. "What are you talking about?"

"Do you truly think it was a coincidence that she chose to give me a room that was right next to yours?"

"…Oh. I'll have to talk to her about that, I guess."

"How about we go to sleep for now and think about all this tomorrow?" Bolin volunteered. "It's almost midnight. I'm tired."

This was exactly what they ended up doing.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ...Ahem. To make a very slight change to some well-known lyrics:
> 
> BE A LITTLE BIT WISER BABY
> 
> PUT IT ON PUT IT ON
> 
> CAUSE TONIGHT
> 
> IS THE NIIII-IIIGHT
> 
> WHEN _THREE_ BECOME OOO-OOOO-OOONE!
> 
> (is shot)
> 
> Ow.


	15. In Which The Other They Does It!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Avatar Kai, you should like this. ;)

Huan opened the door, a puzzled look on his face. He was clad in his pajamas.

"I hope that I did not disturb your slumber," Desna said. He hadn't even thought about that.

"No, it's all right, I was still awake. Actually, I finished something that you might like to see. Come on in," Huan requested. As Desna walked into the room and closed the door, Huan presented him with a new fidget cube. It was almost an exact duplicate of the old one; the only difference was that it was ever so slightly smaller.

Huan explained, "You said that you thought Eska might like one of those. So I made one. It's a bit smaller because your hands are smaller than mine, so I thought hers would be too."

"I had nearly forgotten about that," Desna admitted. "But I am certain she will appreciate it. Would you like monetary compensation for your time?"

"Nah, I'm good. If you really want to pay me, how about kissing me?"

Desna was only too happy to oblige. Still, he could not forget why he was here in the first place.

"We have things we need to discuss," he said as they pulled away. "Eska took me by surprise with her planned departure. She extended an invitation to you to return to Republic City with us, but I felt that such short notice was not fair to you."

"Yeah…" Huan said while twirling a lock of his hair around his finger. "I mean, I might be able to do it sometime in the future. Not right now, though."

"Would you be content with maintaining our relationship from afar?" Desna asked.

"I guess we'd have to. I'll try writing letters. I'm not great at it, though." Huan put a hand on his chin. "So if we're not going to see each other for a while, do you wanna…you know…do something tonight?"

"Are you referring to consummating our relationship?" Desna asked. "That was actually part of what I had been intending to discuss. I was reluctant to bring it up immediately because I was afraid that you might find me…too forward."

"Well, I don't."

He would have to tell Huan now, Desna realized. He didn't want for there to be any unpleasant surprises.

"I would have something that I wish to share with you. May we sit?" he asked.

"Sure."

Once they were both seated at the foot of the bed, Desna mentally steeled himself.

"I was born missing an important part of my body," he said softly. "Two of them, to be more accurate. They operated when I was a baby, but all they found was bundles of connective tissue."

Huan frowned as he attempted to work this out; the frown was replaced by the dawning of comprehension after a few seconds.

"Really? I never heard about that happening to anyone before. But…how? Your voice…"

"My parents gave me shots," Desna replied flatly. "Without asking for my opinion on the subject."

"So, are you saying that you're actually…not a guy? I'd still be attracted to you, so you don't have to worry about that."

"I don't know. I have never felt entirely male. Then again, I have never felt particularly female either."

"Oh, I get it! You're non-binary!" Huan exclaimed, evidently proud of himself for figuring it out. "You remember Bai from group?"

"The one with the buzzcut?"

"Yeah. They're NB too."

Desna raised an eyebrow. "They?"

"They/their/them are Bai's chosen pronouns," Huan told him. "Do you want to use those as well? There are also a lot of other gender-neutral pronoun sets. I don't always know how to pronounce them, though."

"It is kind of you to offer. However, I believe that I will stick to the ones that I know for the present."

"Okay, cool."

He was a lot more nonchalant about all this information than Desna had anticipated.

"You are not squeamish about my deformity?" he ventured.

Huan shrugged. "Why would I be? I've always thought that people care way too much about which private parts other people do or don't have. Like, don't they see the word 'private' in there?"

"I suppose not," Desna said. His parents had certainly kept it private, though; it was such a big secret that not even he knew until they started giving him the shots. And all Eska knew was that he was incapable of having children. Sometimes he wondered if, deep down, she resented him for putting all the pressure to produce an heir on her.

"Uh, so, do you have any preferences about what we actually do?" Huan asked.

Right. The consummation.

"I am completely inexperienced in such matters," Desna told him.

"Yeah…so am I," Huan answered. At Desna's surprised look, he elaborated, "I've gone on a few dates before, but none of the relationships lasted long enough to get to that point. I guess I never clicked with anyone until you."

"The blind leading the blind," Desna quipped.

"Well, not completely blind. I've read Mom's books. We all did, except maybe Baatar. It drove her crazy."

"You are fortunate. I had no such books." Desna guessed that this was partly his own doing, though. Probably the library would have had some relevant information, but he was too scared of getting caught to search for it.

"Anyway, I'd think that anal's probably not a good idea, since it requires a lot of prep work," Huan went on. "Still, there's a lot of other things we can do, and I…I can't make up my mind, to be honest." His rate of speech had increased, and he'd started rocking slightly. Desna put a hand on his boyfriend's arm to steady him.

"It is all right. We do not have to figure it all out this instant," he said. "Perhaps we should start slowly and see how circumstances develop from there."

They began by placing gentle kisses on each other's faces. Desna unpinned his hair, and Huan, who had never seen Desna's hair loose before, was enthralled. He asked to touch it, and Desna accepted.

"Good stim material," Huan commented as he ran his fingers through it. "Way better than mine. I get the worst bedhead."

It was Desna's turn to be nervous when they started undressing. Although he was in good enough shape from waterbending, his muscles had never been particularly prominent; there was only so much that those injections could do. However, Huan had a similar build, so it was a non-issue. And to be honest, the metalbender seemed most interested in the two scars on Desna's lower abdomen.

"Can I see?" he asked. Desna pulled down his pants slightly to show how the scars extended down for several inches until they converged at the center. Huan furrowed his brow and inquired as to how old Desna had been at the time of the procedure.

"I believe that I was not quite a year old," Desna answered.

"It sucks that they just…did that to you when you were that young," Huan remarked as he gingerly ran a finger over one of the scars.

"It is a surgery that must be done in infancy. And, in any case, I have no memory of it," Desna assured him.

"Yeah, but still. I wish that I could kiss it and make it go away."

"It is always worth an attempt," Desna replied solemnly. Huan obliged by applying just about the lightest kiss possible to the area. Of course, it did not make the scars go away, but it did seem to spark something in Huan. Suddenly, he was kissing and licking every square inch of Desna's skin that was currently exposed, although he was obviously being careful not to leave any marks.

"Are you…hng…certain that you have never committed such acts before?" Desna inquired as Huan passed his tongue over a nipple. His boyfriend backed away with a puzzled and slightly hurt look on his face.

"I don't lie," he insisted. "I _can't_ lie. Especially not to you."

Desna mentally slapped himself. He had briefly forgotten to whom he was speaking.

"I was not insinuating that you were being untruthful," he clarified. "It was merely meant to be a statement reflecting your innate talent in this area."

"Oh. Well, anyway, can you take a turn now? My mouth was getting tired."

"That seems to be an acceptable plan of action," Desna said. He returned the favor as best he could.

"You aren't bad yourself," Huan commented after a few minutes.

"Thank you."

"So, uh, are you ready now?"

"I believe so."

"Good. These pants were getting really uncomfortable." Huan pulled both his pajama pants and underwear off in one motion. He sat there idly stroking himself to full hardness, legs spread so that Desna could have an optimal view.

"Well, what do you think? Is it big enough?" he asked.

Desna snorted. "It's bigger than mine. That is all I know." He took off his own remaining garments to prove it. If Huan was in any way disappointed, he did not show it.

"Okay, so here's what I was thinking," he began in an impressively nonchalant voice. "How about one of us thrusts between the other's thighs? I guess we'd have to lie down; the height difference might make it awkward standing up. Oh, and did you want to be top or bottom? I'm fine with being either."

"I would be more comfortable with being the receiving partner. Your knowledge in this area is greater than mine," Desna said.

Huan nodded, and walked over to his bathroom. He returned in a few seconds with a bottle of lotion and two hand towels. They lay on their sides, facing each other, and used the lotion to lubricate the pertinent areas. Huan did not have any condoms, but they decided together that, since they were doing a non-penetrative act and neither of them carried any diseases, they could probably get away without one this time.

"You ready?" Huan asked.

Desna nodded, and said, "At least as prepared as I can be, given the circumstances." Huan put a hand on Desna's back to steady him, and started thrusting.

The act itself was somewhat awkward. They had only just established a rhythm that was mutually pleasing when Huan reached climax. The rapidity of the event even caught him off-guard. When he saw that Desna had not yet been satisfied, he mumbled, " _Fuck_ , sorry, sorry," and started stroking the shorter man's erection rapidly. To be fair, Desna did not outlast Huan by much; after only about a minute, he arched his back up towards the metalbender's hand and groaned in fulfillment.

Once they had regained their equilibrium and cleaned themselves off with the towels, Huan turned away and looked downward morosely.

"What is it?" Desna inquired.

Huan mumbled, "I messed it up."

"It was your first time. I am not certain that I could have done any better," Desna consoled. "Besides, we both achieved our goals in the end, so that makes the endeavor successful."

"I guess." Although Huan didn't sound completely convinced, he at least he turned back to face Desna.

"We will have other opportunities to practice. I will visit as often as I can," Desna said. However, now it was his turn to feel glum.

"I had been hoping that this physical act would assuage my discomfort about leaving so quickly," he confessed. "But instead…"

"It made you want to leave even less?" Huan guessed.

"Exactly."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> No singing this time, I promise! I don't think that this chapter is my favorite, but I wanted to at least try to make it fair by giving them SOMETHING. And this was actually my first M/M scene ever. My first M/F scene (written way back in 2007 when the word "lemon" was still in use) was pretty awkward too. The next chapter is gonna be epic, though.


	16. In Which Bolin and Eska  Finally!  Freaking!  Communicate!

The next morning, Eska was awakened much too early for her liking by the noise of a truck backing into the courtyard and depositing a load of…something. She tried to go back to sleep once it the truck was gone; however, the effort was in vain. The bed had gotten very warm with the three of them crowded together, and the sheets were not smelling their freshest. Thankfully, she had been sleeping on the edge of the bed that was closest to the door, so she was able to roll out with a minimal disturbance to Opal and Bolin. On the way out, she grabbed her bathrobe off the floor without looking at it.

After a long shower in her own room, in which she took time to think the events of last night over, Eska felt slightly more alert. She redressed in her undergarments and pajamas, put the bathrobe over it, and proceeded to the dining room. So far, the only people there were Suyin and the twins, who were having their morning tea. As soon as they saw her, Suyin got a satisfied little smile on her face while Wing started snickering. Eska was fairly certain it was him because he seemed to be the more mischievous of the two.

"Okay…fork over the cash!" he ordered his brother.

"That doesn't prove anything!" Wei retorted. "What if they were cheating on him with each other?"

Wait…how did they know? Eska looked down, and saw that she had taken Opal's bathrobe by mistake. Because of course. She wordlessly turned and walked back to the bedroom with as much dignity as she could muster.

When she reached the room and opened the door, she saw that Bolin was awake, while Opal was not in the room.

"Opal's not feeling well today," Bolin informed her. "She's in the bathroom. I think she threw up."

"This is not the most opportune of days for the onset of morning sickness," Eska commented. Although, now that she was thinking about it, it wasn't like there were any _good_ days for it either.

Bolin turned his head toward the bathroom door and asked, "You doing all right in there?"

"I'll be out in just a bit," was the mumbled reply. Some more gagging was audible, although Eska was uncertain whether or not it was accompanied by more vomiting. Then the toilet flushed, and after washing her hands and brushing her teeth, Opal staggered out.

"I think the wave passed for now," she told them.

"I would recommend going back to bed for the time being," Eska said. "At least you do not have a morning audience immediately after, like I did my first time. Although the sheets require changing first."

This was done. (Well, Bolin did most of it since Eska had never changed sheets before, although she did get to assist by putting the pillows in fresh cases.) Once they'd gotten the dirty sheets stuffed in the laundry hamper, Eska assisted Opal in climbing onto the bed.

"Oh yes, I almost forgot," she said to Opal. "Here is your bathrobe. I put it on erroneously. The twins and Suyin saw." She took the bathrobe off, tossed it on the bed, and finally put the correct one on.

Eska thought that now was as good a time as ever to inform them of the decision that she had reached in the shower. She said, "I have opted to pursue a relationship with both of you."

The way she saw it, it might work or it might not, but was at least worth an attempt. She cared about both of them, and this way she would be making connections with other people as her brother had recommended. In any case, Bolin cheered at the news, while Opal managed a weak smile.

She sat quietly with Opal while Bolin had _his_ shower; the airbender said that she was afraid to speak too much for fear that it might trigger her nausea. Then Bolin and Eska headed off to the dining room in order to give Opal some time to rest alone.

"I believe that Wei and Wing had a bet going as to whether or not the three of us would have sexual intercourse," Eska warned Bolin. "Wei has been resistant to fulfill his end of the bargain."

"Well, we should give them a show then, shouldn't we?" Bolin proposed.

Wei took one look at the two of them walking into the dining room hand in hand and howled, "Oh, _come on_!" He banged his forehead on the table repeatedly while his twin laughed at him. Finally, with a pained expression on his face, he handed over two hundred yuans.

"You two know the rule. No betting on your siblings' relationship prospects at the table," Suyin chided. Eska wondered exactly how this had managed to occur so often as to cause a rule to be made against it.

By now, the remainder of the household was joining them. First came the two Baatars, then Desna and Huan walked in, also holding hands. Desna took one glance at Eska and Bolin sitting as close to each other as the chairs would allow, and looked as if the weight of the world had fallen off his shoulders.

Suyin looked around the room, then asked, "Where is Opal?" Bolin informed her of Opal's illness.

The older woman clicked her tongue. "That's too bad. I'll go get Chef to make her a cup of the ginger tea. Breakfast will be ready shortly, by the way."

The tea was ready just a short time later, and Eska volunteered to deliver the cup to Opal. She needed to head in that direction anyway to awaken her daughter.

"I have been told that the contents of this cup are high in temperature," Eska warned Opal as she walked into the room. "Unless you prefer to have a scalded tongue, I would suggest that you drink this slowly."

Opal whispered a "thank you" as she took the cup. Eska had personally added honey to it, having had enough experience choking down bitter brews in attempts to quell her own nausea. She had been uncertain of exactly how much to put in. In any case, Opal had no complaints.

Once she had retrieved her daughter, Eska and Kinalik started to walk to the dining room, only to run into Desna in the hallway.

"May we converse?" he asked. Eska assented, and told Kinalik to go on ahead to breakfast.

When the two of them were alone, Desna told her, "I have decided that I will be staying here for the time being."

"Oh?" Eska interjected, not really trusting herself to say anything else. She had been anticipating that they would be leading mostly separate lives, and perhaps living in different residences, but she had thought that they would least be present in the same general vicinity. The last she had heard, her brother and Huan were going to work out a long-distance relationship. She had suspected from seeing them walk into the dining room that they had spent the night together, and this more or less confirmed it. Truly, last night had been full of lust for all of them.

"Huan and I decided that we could not endure separation," her brother explained as if reading her mind. "I would have accompanied you regardless had you required me. But it appears that you have other people who care for you and will take care of you, just as I care for Huan. I feel that my presence would be superfluous now. Also…this is the first place in my entire life where I've truly felt that I've belonged."

Eska wasn't quite certain that she understood; this city continued to have a decidedly eerie air to her. However, she did not want Desna to be miserable on her account.

"In that case, I will not cause an obstacle to you," she said while blinking away tears.

"I do have a gift for you," he said, as if to soften the blow. He held up a small metal cube.

"You have seen Huan with his fidget cube, correct?" he asked. "He made another one for you at my request. He states that it is exceedingly helpful for his anxiety."

"I shall treasure it forever," Eska vowed. Tears were running down her face in earnest now; she would be careful to redo her makeup this time.

"I will miss you," she managed to say through her tears.

"And I will miss you. Yet I feel that I need to take this opportunity. You can become your own person, as can I."

They hugged each other tightly. Although Eska, of course, normally did not care for hugging, she decided that she needed to make an exception in this case.

\---------------------------------------------------------------------------

By the time that Opal had finished her tea, her stomach was settled enough that she could at least get out of bed. To her disappointment, she saw that breakfast was already over by the time she got there. The only people still in the room were Mom, Eska, and Kinalik.

"Do you feel up to eating some rice in dashi?" Mom asked. "The rest of us had eggs on ours, but I thought it would be better to omit them for you."

"You thought right," Opal muttered. She sat down and took a few tentative sips of the salty broth.

"Your mother tells me that she has a surprise planned for Kinalik," Eska said. "This appears to be related to the truck that woke me up this morning."

Mom replied, "Yeah, sorry about that. But it's our last day together and Ki's been working so hard, I thought she deserved a little fun." Even as out of it as she was, Opal noticed that Mom had adopted Bolin's nickname for the girl.

Once Opal had consumed as much as she dared, the three of them went outside to see a huge pile of gleaming white sand that had been deposited next to the earthbending ring. It had the desired effect on Kinalik, who let out a squeal of delight and dove headfirst into the pile.

"Straight from the Misty Palms Oasis!" Mom proclaimed. Opal knew that it couldn't have come cheap.

"How do you intend to utilize it once Kinalik has departed?" Eska inquired.

"Well, she's going to visit once in a while, right? Plus, there's Opal's baby on the way, and then any others that either of you might have."

She said it so smoothly. Opal decided that Eska was right; Mom had likely planned this from the beginning.

"Now watch her closely," Mom went on, pointing at Kinalik, who was currently clambering to the top of the pile. "We might be in for a little treat."

For a few minutes, nothing happened except for Kinalik rolling around and getting herself thoroughly covered in sand. Then Opal spotted a small disturbance in the sand's surface. It grew until a small whirlpool had formed, which the child was controlling with waves of her arms.

Mom gave a celebratory shout. "Just as I thought! She can sandbend! I thought it would be likely given that she has waterbending ancestry."

"Do you commit any action that does not have some sort of ulterior motive?" Eska inquired.

Mom shrugged and answered, "Not really."

Speaking of ulterior motives…Opal was turning to Mom to ask to have a talk with her when they heard a whirring in the sky. At the same time, Kinalik pointed upward and said, "Birds!"

Of course, they were not birds. They were airships, and they were flying rather low. Mom cursed under her breath.

"You think Kuvira is behind this?" Opal asked. She swallowed hard to keep her nausea at bay.

"What? Oh no, dear, don't worry about that! We would have heard something. No, this is just the paparazzi. I recognize those airships from when they showed up after Junior and Kuvira announced their engagement. Like _I_ knew anything about it." She huffed in annoyance. "One of the checkout clerks from when we went shopping yesterday must have talked."

"We weren't the only customers there, though," Opal observed. "It could have been anyone."

"That's true. I suppose it doesn't matter now, though. You three had better get inside. I'll try to scare them off."

Eska ran over to a dismayed Kinalik and grabbed her hand, explaining rapidly, "There are bad people in those airships who desire to capture our likenesses without our consent. We must depart. The sand pile is not moving anywhere."

Once they got inside, they noted that Kinalik had managed to get sand on every square inch of her exposed skin, and even in her hair. The child was either unable or unwilling to bend it off herself, so they spent several minutes in the foyer rubbing her down with towels. Even after that, there was still much that remained, so Eska had to go give Kinalik a bath. Opal went to the living room to lie down and ponder just what she was going to say to Mom.

By the time that Mom finally came back inside, Eska and Kinalik had returned from the bathing; the latter went straight over to her blocks and dumped them out.

"Whew!" Mom said while wiping sweat off her brow. "That was a bit of a workout! But I don't think they'll be bothering us again any time soon."

"Did the bad people go to timeout?" Kinalik asked.

Mom chuckled a bit. "You could put it that way."

"Oh, Mom, you didn't kill them, did you?" Opal asked.

"Of course not! What would ever make you think that I'd do that?"

"Well…um…maybe I shouldn't answer."

"Anyway, there's no need to worry," Mom assured her. "All of them made it out in one piece. Their airships may have sustained some minor damage, though."

"What's this I hear about bad people?" Bolin inquired as he entered the room.

"Paparazzi. On airships. It's all under control," Mom informed him.

Kinalik looked at him gravely and added, "They're in timeout."

"Well, uh, that's good. I tried calling Mako, by the way, to let him know we were coming back. No answer."

"There's still plenty of time," Opal told him. "And if we have to wait an extra couple of days, it won't be the end of the world."

All right. She needed to stop putting this off.

"Mom, can we talk somewhere private?" she asked as she rose off the couch.

"Oh. Of course."

Bolin and Eska both glanced at Opal on the way out; obviously they were aware of the topic of conversation. Once they were in Mom's study and the door had been closed, Opal got right to the point.

"Eska thinks that you set us up," she said.

"She's a smart girl," Mom replied. She remained completely serene, and perched in her chair like it was a throne.

"Mom…why? Things could have gone really badly!"

"But they didn't, did they? I saw how you three were at dinner that first night, so I decided to test whether my assumptions were correct. If she'd asked to be moved to another room, I would have happily done so. Had she chosen Baatar instead, I wouldn't have stood in their way. As it turned out, neither of those happened. And do you seriously think I would have allowed any harm to come to you? Or Bolin, for that matter?"

"I guess not. I just wish you would have said something first," Opal admitted. She shuffled her feet. "Anyway, what do you know about these kinds of relationships?"

"Your father and I were in several ourselves in the early years, with both men and women," Mom said as if she were commenting on the latest dance recital. Opal thought that this was maybe too much information. Mom must have misread her facial expression, because she hurriedly added, "Don't worry. Your father _is_ actually your father, as he is to all of my children. We were careful to make that indisputable."

"Uh. All right, then," Opal said while resisting the urge to squeeze her eyes shut.

"We ended up deciding that we liked our relationship best with just the two of us, but we never regretted the experience. To actually answer your question, though, the two things that are vital for the success of these relationships are effective usage of time and clear communication. You have to make it so no one feels left out. And if you have any problems, even if you think it's something silly, don't sulk and keep them to yourself. You need to talk about them, ideally in a calm manner. It can be hard work; it's not all about the sex. But I wouldn't have given you that little push if I didn't think you could handle it, or if I thought it would make you unhappy."

"I'll be sure to tell them that," Opal stated. It would be especially important given Bolin and Eska's history of communication problems.

"All right then! Is there anything else you wanted to know?"

"I think that's it."

"Of course, you can call me any time you have any questions," Mom assured her.

"I will," Opal promised. Right now, however, it was time for her to start the dreaded chore of packing.

\---------------------------------------------------------------------------

Bolin was getting nervous. He had been trying to reach his brother all day in between bouts of packing, and so far had had no success. This would be the last call before he'd give up for the night. Like Opal said, it wouldn't be a catastrophe if they had to stay an extra day. It would, however, get annoying when they had to rummage in their suitcases for various items.

The phone rang. Then again, again, and yet again. Bolin was just about to hang up when there was a click during the fifth ring.

"Hello?"

"Mako! There you are!" Bolin exclaimed. "Where were you all of today?"

"Sorry about that. We just busted an opium ring yesterday, and work has been through the roof."

"Oh. Well, anyway, I wanted to let you know that we're getting on the airship back home tomorrow."

"Prepare yourselves, then," Mako said. "The rumor mills have been going like crazy."

Bolin began to feel a creeping of unease.

"Rumors about what?" he asked cautiously.

"Well, first someone saw you with Kinalik and heard you referring to her as your kid…"

Bolin interrupted with a cry of, "The bathroom guy!" He _knew_ he wouldn't be able to trust that guy to keep quiet.

"Uh, sure, the bathroom guy. And then they somehow got aerial shots of us at the family reunion. They're saying the stupidest stuff."

"Like what?"

"They think that you have both of them as girlfriends. Like I said, really stupid."

"Yeah. About that." Bolin had been meaning to introduce Mako to the idea gradually once they all got back, but there was no avoiding it now.

There were several seconds of silence on the other end of the line. Then, " _Damnit_ , Bolin! Can't you keep it in your pants this once?"

Bolin growled in frustration.

"First of all, Mako, you're one to talk!" he pointed out. "And secondly, unlike in _certain other cases_ , they both know about it. In fact, it was Opal's idea in the first place. And _thirdly_ , Opal and Eska are girlfriends with each other too!"

Mako emitted a sigh that seemed like it lasted for about half an hour.

"All right. I told myself I would treat you like an adult now and let you make your own mistakes, so I'm holding to that," he said. "This does mean that if Eska goes psycho on one of you, I won't be riding to the rescue."

"I really wish you wouldn't keep calling her that."

"Whatever. If you can somehow make this whole thing work, then you'll be better than me in that regard. Good luck. Right now, though, I'm taking an aspirin and going to bed. I have to be up at five tomorrow morning."

"Well, okay then."

"And really Bolin, I do love you. Even if you are frustrating at times. Good night."

"Night."

He hung up the phone, only to find Eska waiting for him. He narrowly avoided screaming. How _did_ she manage to keep sneaking up on him like that?

"I did not want to interrupt your conversation," she explained.

"Oh, well it's done now. What's up?"

"Opal has revealed to me that communication is important in a three-way relationship. I thought that the two of us could do so now."

"Uh, yeah, we have been kind of tiptoeing around that flying bison in the room, haven't we? Let's go outside."

\---------------------------------------------------------------------------

It was a beautiful night out. They sat down on the front porch–Bolin rather gingerly because of his knee–and spent a few minutes looking at the night sky. It was clear and sprinkled with stars. The moon, while reduced to a crescent, was still nice to look at. However, they hadn't come out to stargaze.

"Uh…which one of us should go first?" Bolin asked.

"May I?" Eska requested. She appeared to be anxious to unburden herself.

"Yep. It'll give me time to think of what to say, anyway."

"I believe I should start with some background information," Eska said. "I grew up completely ignorant of other cultures. In the Northern Water Tribe, a man is not supposed to show interest in a woman unless he intends to marry her. Women do not have casual boyfriends; in fact, I was unaware of that word's existence until you used it. I assumed that you had grown up under the same moral code."

"So you thought from the beginning that we were going to get married?" Bolin asked. He would have to be careful to clarify anything and everything she said.

"Almost from the beginning. That first night, I only wanted a distraction for the duration of my trip. Then circumstances changed. I heard…something that I shouldn't have from one of the tents."

Something from one of the tents? Bolin puzzled over this briefly, but then he remembered.

"You heard Mako and Korra's makeup sex, didn't you?"

Eska stared at him in disbelief.

"How did you know?" she asked.

Bolin pulled a face and answered, "I think _everyone_ heard them. I had to put a pillow over my head so I could sleep."

"I see. At any rate, this made me realize that I desired you carnally. What is more, if I were to wed you, it would thwart my mother's matchmaking schemes. Therefore, pledging myself to you would be, as the saying goes, killing two eider gulls with one stone."

Bolin nodded his head to show that he was listening. He was getting the feeling that had he just asked what all the rush was, things might have gone very differently.

"I realize now that this was a foolish idea," Eska continued, a note of bitterness creeping into her voice. "I had underestimated the nobility's antipathy toward benders of elements other than water. Had I brought you home and engaged in a nuptial arrangement with you, the courtiers would more likely than not have banished you or even ended your life at the earliest possible opportunity."

"Ouch. Wait, hold on… you were planning on marrying me after you got home then?"

"Originally, yes. But the situation changed again. You hugged the Avatar…and in my homeland, if an unmarried and unrelated male and female hug, it is considered almost as taboo as copulating in public. I was unaware that it was merely a sign of friendship in your culture. I assumed that you were getting cold feet, and that Korra was using her Avatar wiles to break us apart. Nevertheless, I should not have reacted as I did, and I apologize."

"Apology accepted. I wouldn't have done it had I known about all that. That clears up a lot. Wow, we were craptacular at saying anything to each other, weren't we?"

Eska made a low huff of laughter.

"I had not heard that word before," she stated. "But yes. Craptacular. And by the time we got back from the South Pole expedition, I was desperate to get you wedded to me before Korra ensnared you completely. And in my panic, I was willing to do anything that it took. I wish I could say that I was completely ignorant of your unhappiness, yet this was not the case. I see the irony in it now, though. Had I given you some space, you might have been more accepting of my proposal."

"Yeah, I think we could have worked something out," Bolin said. He wondered exactly what he would have done had he known the full context of Eska's actions. At the very least, he thought would have accepted the betrothal necklace while asking for more time to work the situation out.

Eska hmmed and replied, "Possibly. There are many areas where events could have gone very differently. I often think about what might have occurred had I moved to Republic City with you, or if we did decide on a long-distance relationship, or if I'd worked up the courage to tell you about my pregnancy. I suppose it is of little concern now, though. We found our way back to each other–and Opal–in the end."

After saying this, she remained silent for an extended period of time.

"Were you done?" Bolin finally ventured.

"I believe so."

"My turn then. Promise you won't get mad?"

"I cannot promise such a thing. I will, however, listen to you and refrain from physical assault."

"Fair enough. I guess I should just be honest: I was terrified of you. All I'd been looking for was a harmless little fling, but I ended up getting in way over my head. I thought that I'd make one small misstep and you'd kill me. And I was too scared to _say_ that I was scared. Of course, now I know that you wouldn't have killed me since you needed to marry me. Back then, I was convinced that you really did have an army of dolphin piranhas at your disposal. You don't…do you?"

"I do not," Eska confirmed. "I am actually not certain why I kept on saying that. It is possible that repeating the same phrase over and over had some sort of soothing effect on me. During my childhood, I used to get in trouble for using vulgar language repeatedly for the same reason."

Try as he might, Bolin could not imagine Eska swearing.

"Well, um, in any case, now that that's taken care of, I have a confession to make too. If you were using me, I was using you right back. Did you know I went on a date with Korra once?"

"I did not," Eska replied, looking a little confused at Bolin's train of thought.

"Well, I did. And it seemed like it went really well. But then the next night, I kind of…ran into her and Mako kissing."

Even Eska looked slightly taken aback.

"That sounds like a most unpleasant experience," she stated as she reached for Bolin's hand.

"Yeah! And you know what else? Mako had _just_ told me not to get involved with her! And…and I'd just gotten her some flowers, and they weren't cheap!" It felt surprisingly great to finally talk about this with someone; he'd never had the occasion to bring it up with Opal.

"I could still attempt to acquire that army of dolphin piranhas to threaten the flower salesman so you could get your money back," Eska said. Bolin was pretty sure that she was joking this time.

He tried to respond in kind by pointing out, "Yeah, but then the flower guy would sue me, and I'd lose the money again paying for a lawyer."

"Very well. If you ever have a change of opinion, all you need to do is ask."

"I'll keep that in mind." He squeezed her hand. "What I'm trying to get at is…I thought I got over it the next day. And I told them that. Now, though…I'm thinking maybe I never really did. I saw how lovey-dovey they were being at the festival, so I thought, 'I'll show them,' and decided to chat up the first girl I saw. Who happened to be you."

"That means that not only did Korra ruin my wedding, she and Mako caused the occurrence of our relationship in the first place," Eska noted. "On both sides. Fascinating. I shall have to inform her of this paradox."

"Life can be really weird like that," Bolin said.

"Agreed," Eska answered.

However, it hadn't been quite that simple, and Bolin knew it.

"I didn't pick you completely at random, though. I'd actually noticed you before, when you were getting off the ship," he admitted. "I…um…thought that Desna was a girl too at first."

"That was _you_ talking about the lovely ladies? And the lovely ladies were actually _us_?" Eska demanded.

"I'd forgotten how I'd actually said it, but yeah."

"I would have never expected that anyone would ever be of that opinion of my physical appearance. My mother always informed me that I was rather plain," Eska said almost shyly.

"Well, she was wrong."

She turned her face up towards him in surpise, and her lips parted slightly. Bolin took the hint and kissed her.

"You wanna…?" he asked when they broke apart.

"Yes. Is Opal's participation required as well?"

"I'll go check with her. Where is she?"

"I believe that she went to the bedroom after the evening meal."

"Oh. I hope she's feeling okay."

When he got up to the room, his heart sank as he saw Opal lying in bed, with the lights turned off and a bucket on the floor beside the edge of the bed. She didn't even have the energy to turn and face him.

"Man, this sucks!" he said. "You're still feeling sick? I thought it was only supposed to happen in the morning! You know, because of the name and all."

"Mom said it's a misleading name," Opal replied, her voice slightly muffled by the pillow.

"Oh. Eska and I wanted to ask if you wanted to…you know…but obviously you wouldn't. Should I tell her that it's a no-go?"

"You two go on ahead if you want. I need to be alone for a while."

"Well, if you're really all right with it…"

"I am. I wouldn't lie to you. We can't have threesomes every day. She could use some time just with you."

"All right. Poor Opie." He moved to stroke her hair. "Should I check back in later?"

"I guess. Don't take this the wrong way, but can you shower first? I'm not saying that you stink…it's just that I can smell _everything_." She groaned in misery.

"Sorry. I'll leave now. Pabu, you take good care of her for me." Bolin grabbed the necessary supplies, and made sure to back out of the room slowly so as to not assault Opal with any more smell waves. He returned outside and relayed the information to Eska.

"That is an unfortunate turn of events," she said. "We will have to utilize my room for our coital activities, then. We must make care to maintain as much silence as possible so as not to disturb her. Or Kinalik."

"Okay. That shouldn't be too difficult."

\---------------------------------------------------------------------------

It was, in fact, more difficult than Bolin had thought. Especially since the sight of Eska riding him while simultaneously touching herself was almost unbearably sexy. Opal had never been fond of this position; she said it made her feel self-conscious. And while Bolin had no desire to do anything that would make Opal unhappy, finding someone who did like it was a bonus.

Eska kept biting her lip; was she remembering what he'd said at the party and doing it on purpose? She caught him looking and did it again. Yes, definitely on purpose.

Her stroking was getting faster now, as was her breathing. She must be close. Bolin felt a glimmer of mischief, and his hands reached up to touch her breasts. His fingers swirled around her dark brown nipples. This was enough to bring Eska to orgasm within seconds. She appeared surprised with how quickly it came on; she had to hurriedly clap a hand over her mouth so as not to make any sound. She threw her head back, and Bolin realized with the tiny part of his brain that was still noticing such things how slender her neck was. That sight, combined with the feeling of her contracting around him, was enough to finish him off as well. Eska fell forward, stopping her trajectory right before she landed on his chest.

"You are absolutely incorrigible," she gasped out.

"Uh…thanks?"

"That word is not typically intended as praise. In this case, though, an exception might be made." After detaching herself, she rolled over onto her side and gazed at him.

"I believe…I might want to attempt being in the traditional position next," she said quietly after a few minutes. "Simply so I can determine what it is like. You are under strict orders to not reveal my moment of weakness to anyone. Except maybe for Opal if she asks nicely."

"Yes ma'am!" Bolin said as he saluted. "Right now, though, I have to go throw Mr. Condom away."

Eska raised an eyebrow. "How are you so certain that it is male?" she asked.

"It'd be weird if it was a girl."

"I suppose you are the expert on this matter," Eska conceded. Bolin was struck with the thought that, when he had first met her, he would never in a million years have guessed that one day they would have this conversation. In many ways, it was similar to the silly things he and Opal talked about, but those always ended up with one or both of them cracking up. Eska, however, remained completely deadpan.

When he got back from the bathroom, Eska had changed her position. Now, she was lying on her stomach horizontally, looking up in a very tempting manner.

"You're awesome, you know that?" he commented. "And so is your butt."

"I believe that I find your arms to be the most aesthetically pleasing portion of you," she replied.

"More than…?"

"Yes. That is my _second_ -favorite."

"Second's not bad. So how about it? Ready for more of Mr. Second Best?"

"You are so polite with all those honorifics," Eska said.

"Well, my brother raised me right," Bolin replied as he reached for the condom box. There. That had made her smile. This was the key to coaxing out her sense of humor, he realized: be so unrelentingly silly that even she couldn't resist. And silliness was his specialty.

Despite what Eska had said about her moment of weakness, she was an active participant. Her legs wrapped around Bolin's body, and her hands roamed over every square inch of his skin that they could reach, gently squeezing to feel the muscles working underneath. Toward the end, she gave him a couple of scratches in the heat of the moment, but they were shallow and hardly hurt at all.

"That was surprisingly enjoyable," Eska remarked once they were finished. "I should like to attempt it again. But not tonight. I believe that I have reached my limit for interpersonal contact for the day."

She had a bit of an edge to her voice; it seemed as though the time for silliness was past for now.

"Good idea," Bolin agreed quickly. "I promised Opal that I'd see how she was doing later. And I need to shower. But hey! We remembered to put towels down this time! So your sheets should be okay-ish. See you tomorrow?"

"Yes."

He returned to the other bedroom, and made a beeline for the bathroom. Once he was certain that he was clean enough for even the most sensitive of noses, he went back to check on Opal more thoroughly.

Pabu was snoring away from his spot on the foot of the bed, and at first Opal appeared to be asleep too. But then she stirred and opened her eyes.

"Doing all right?" Bolin asked.

"Well, I haven't thrown up again, which is progress. How did it go?"

"It went," he informed her. "It certainly went."

As he got into bed next to her, being careful not to disturb the fire ferret, he thought about how it was weird that both Opal and Eska had turned out to be simultaneously exactly the same as and completely different from his initial impression of them.

It was going to be a wild ride. And he was looking forward to it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Man, those last two scenes were cathartic...as well as hilarious to write.
> 
> And that wraps up the bulk of the plot! There will be three more chapters of the main story focusing on their return to Republic City, already posted on ff.net and I'm also planning three chapters of epilogue plus a notes section. I've decided to wait to start the epilogue stuff until this fic gets caught up with the ff.net version.


	17. In Which Plans Are Made and Everyone Freaks Out Over a Dress

Chef prepared an impressive departure breakfast for them the next morning. Kinalik's eyes grew big as she looked at the spread. There were eggs, rice, komodo sausages, fruit salads, and steamed buns of both the plain and filled variety. Chef had even been thoughtful enough to add a dish of seaweed noodles.

"What are your plans after getting back to Republic City?" Suyin asked as Eska chopped up Kinalik's noodles into a more manageable size.

"Well, we'll have to find a house pretty quickly," Opal answered. She paused to nibble on a plain bun. "Obviously, our one-bedroom apartment isn't going to cut it anymore."

Eska added, "I will likely have to enroll Kinalik in a nursery school. I do not believe that she would find being home all day to be stimulating to her intellect. It may be a challenge finding an establishment that will both be accepting of her special needs and have a sufficiently invigorating curriculum."

"Don't forget about finding teachers who don't have their heads up their asses so far that they won't see any bullying," Huan interjected.

"Thank you, Huan," Suyin said, in a tone that was not very thankful at all.

"No, he is correct, despite his crude language. I was educated with only home-based tutoring, so anybody's input is welcome," Eska said. Then she glanced at Kinalik, who had let her table manners lapse while listening to herself being discussed, and told her, "Seaweed noodles were not designed to be consumed with one's fingers."

Her daughter looked annoyed at being caught, but picked her spoon back up anyway.

Once everyone was done eating, it was time for final goodbyes. Eska and Desna exchanged one final embrace, and Kinalik hugged him too at Eska's request.

"Well," Eska said, "I suppose that we shall see each other at the earliest possible opportunity, whenever that may be." She had promised herself that she would not cry this time, and managed to hold true to her word.

"The time may well elapse more quickly than either of us anticipated," Desna replied.

"Will you continue to live at this address?" Eska asked. She wanted to be certain of where to send any letter she may write.

"For the moment. I will be sure to advise you of any changes well in advance."

"That will be much appreciated."

Kinalik tugged on Desna's sleeve and asked, "Are you really my mama?"

"No, Kinalik, I am not. I am actually your uncle."

"Oh." Kinalik furrowed her brow as she considered this new information. Finally, she said, "It's okay. I have Mama Opal now."

Eska wondered just how much of this convoluted situation Kinalik had managed to work out on her own; the child had yet to refer to Bolin as her father.

They were finished speaking now, and had to stand around awkwardly as Opal hugged every single family member (except for Huan) and exchanged extended farewells with them. Finally, however, they were ready. Bolin took Opal's hand and Opal took Eska's as they boarded the monorail; Eska's other hand was grasping her new fidget cube tightly. She maintained eye contact with Desna until the track turned a corner and he was no longer visible.

\---------------------------------------------------------------------------

Back in Republic City, Korra and Asami had been sitting in the living room, sipping tea, and reading the newspaper for the latest updates on the opium bust when the butler informed them that Mako was at the door.

"Should I allow him in?" the butler asked.

"Sure, why not? He's seen us both in our pajamas before," Asami said. The butler looked scandalized, yet did as she requested.

The instant Mako was let in, he ran into the living room and exclaimed, "You're not gonna _believe_ what Bolin said yesterday!"

Korra considered. They had heard the news of Opal's pregnancy less than two days ago; she was hard-pressed to come up with any other momentous event that could have happened in such a short timeframe. Unless…

"Is Opal okay?" Asami asked, voicing Korra's concerns.

"What? Oh no, she's fine as far as I know. But apparently she and Bolin got it into their heads to add _Eska_ into their relationship!"

"You mean like…oh. I see," Korra replied.

"That would explain why Korra and I got mobbed on our lunch date yesterday," Asami commented. Yeah, that had been weird. Korra had assumed that it was part of the increased media coverage surrounding their first anniversary, but then she'd heard one of the photographers ask a question about Eska. They had opted not to stick around for clarification. Korra had wondered if her cousin had done something bad; it was a relief to know that she hadn't, in fact, murdered anyone.

Their responses did not satisfy Mako.

"That's all you have to say about it? Don't you think it's, you know, _super-weird_?" he asked.

"Well, if it's what makes them happy, then why not? At least they skipped the four years of skating around it that Korra and I did," Asami pointed out.

Korra chuckled. "You're right."

"You guys are impossible," Mako grumbled as he plopped down onto the sofa.

"How about we get out a third teacup for you and we talk about this?" Asami offered.

Once the filled teacup was in Mako's hand, Korra asked, "So exactly what is it that bothers you about it so much? I get the feeling that there's something you're not telling us."

"Well, for one thing, Eska still gives me the creeps," Mako said. "And for another…remember that cult in the Si Wong Desert that got raided a couple of years back?"

Asami nodded. Korra didn't know what he was talking about, and said so.

"Oh yeah, I forgot, you wouldn't have been paying much attention to current events then. It was this polygamous commune where a bunch of old guys were kicking out all the younger boys and then marrying twelve-year-old girls. They got most of the leaders thrown in jail, but weren't able to break up the commune itself."

"I'm not sure I'm following you. You think that Bolin and Opal and Eska are like _that_?" Korra inquired.

"Not necessarily _me_. The general public might, however. The press won't give them a moment of peace."

"Aren't they going to be distracted by this whole drug thing?" Asami pointed out.

Mako sighed. "I doubt it. Drug rings aren't very sexy."

"We'll be sure to take precautions when we pick them up," Korra assured him. "I'll even take Naga if I have to make a quick retreat with Kinalik."

"They're coming back tomorrow," Mako informed them. That was earlier than Korra had expected; still, she thought it was doable. She had hoped that their promise of security measures would be enough to settle Mako's doubts, but he continued to look pouty.

"There's something else, isn't there?" she asked.

"No…" he replied unconvincingly. Korra saw understanding flash in Asami's eyes.

"You're jealous, aren't you?" she asked.

"Who said anything about that?" he demanded. Then, as Asami continued to look at him, he threw his hands in the air in defeat.

"All right, fine. Yes, it _is_ a little difficult knowing that I made such a mess of things, and meanwhile my little brother has women crawling all over him. There. Are you happy now?"

"Oh, Mako," she sighed. "You'll find someone someday."

The firebender made a noncommittal "Hm," and stared into his teacup.

"Besides," Korra added, "Asami and I are hoping to start a family at some point. Who did you think we were going to ask to be the father…Tenzin?"

Mako spat out the sip of tea he had just taken, which achieved impressive distance.

"Did you really need to put it that way?" he sputtered.

"Yep."

"Great. Now I'll never be able to look at him with a straight face ever again." His walkie talkie crackled. "Good timing. Listen, I have to go now. We're doing more interviews today, and Chief Beifong gets crabby if I'm not there at least an hour early."

He got up and walked out of the room, but turned back towards them at the doorway.

"Oh. And since I'm not going to be able to go with you to meet them, be sure to tell Bolin that his testing has been scheduled for two weeks from today."

"We will," Asami promised.

\---------------------------------------------------------------------------

The next day, Korra thought that they were as prepared as they would ever be. Asami had quickly rigged off a harness to make certain that Kinalik would not fall off Naga. They had also stocked the Satomobile with blankets, sunglasses, and hats to hide the features of the incoming quartet from the cameras.

Once they received the radio call that the airship was preparing for its final descent, they headed off; Korra on Naga and Asami with the Satomobile. Korra got there first, and noted with dismay that a crowd was already starting to form at the gate to the airfield. How had they found out so quickly? At least they weren't allowed to go in the airfield, since that was Asami's private property.

Her girlfriend showed up shortly thereafter, and bemoaned the fact that she hadn't thought to put parking facilities in the airfield itself. Together, they watched the airship approaching; it had an unremarkable landing. Bolin was the first one out, with Kinalik in his arms. He saw Naga and said, "Oh good, you had the same idea we did. We saw the crowd from the air!"

"Yeah. It's…pretty bad," Korra replied as she took a concerned-looking Kinalik from Bolin.  
"Kinalik, say hi to Naga. You'll get to have a ride on her! And wear this nice hat!" Although the child may have seen Naga from a distance a couple of times, the two of them had never actually been introduced so far as Korra knew.

Just then, Opal and Eska exited the aircraft. Opal ran over to hug Korra and Asami, while Eska hung back. Korra saw that her cousin was wearing what appeared to be a new outfit: a lavender dress with a black floral pattern and matching lace trim, and sandals with straps that reached halfway to her knees. She looked gorgeous in it…which was kind of the problem. They didn't want to attract any more attention than they had already been getting.

"Maybe you should cover that up?" Asami suggested as she handed over a blanket. Eska refused.

"I chose this outfit specifically to wear upon my return from Zaofu before I left, and have been looking forward to being attired in it for nearly a month. I am not about to conceal it," she explained.

"Well…uh…suit yourself," Korra said. Then she cautioned, "Naga, gentle," since Kinalik had finally worked up the courage to extend a tentative hand toward the polar bear dog. Thankfully, Naga seemed to sense the girl's young age, and politely sniffed the hand before giving it a little (for her) lick.

"It tasted me!" Kinalik complained as she snatched her hand away.

"That's just her way of saying hi." Korra assured her as she pulled the hat low over Kinalik's face. "Now, let's get up on her back." Once they had done so, Korra slipped one loop of the harness over Kinalik's waist and the other loop over her own, and made sure to securely cinch them. They started off slowly, both to give Kinalik time to get accustomed to Naga's gait and to keep pace with the others as they headed toward the airfield's entrance.

"Okay, we're going to go fast now," Korra said. "Ready?" Kinalik nodded. As the gate opened and they shot off, Korra caught a glimpse of flashbulbs going off like fireworks once the photographers saw Eska's outfit.

Even though Korra took the long way home, she still got there before Asami's group did.

"Wow, what a brave girl!" she praised as she lifted Kinalik off Naga; the child was quiet but looked no worse for wear. "How about we go to the kitchen and get some ice cream?"

"Yeah!" Kinalik cheered. Korra had just gotten her settled with a bowl of lychee-flavored frozen dessert when the front door opened.

"Well, we're back," Asami sighed as she walked into the kitchen and kissed Korra's cheek. "And we're all alive. Sorry it took so long. They kept swamping us at every red light, and we caught just about every red light possible!"

"Yeah, me and Opal have to put up with them every now and then, but that was _insane_. Hey, is that ice cream?" Bolin asked as he bounded into the kitchen.

"We have lychee and red bean," Korra told him. "I think that there might be a bit of the moon peach left too. Maybe we should all have some? We do have a lot of stuff to catch up on, after all."

"Yeah, that might be a good idea," Bolin said. "Eska got a bit shaken up; Opal's with her." He walked back to the doorway and called out, "You guys coming? They have ice cream!"

"Sounds great! We'll be right in!" came the reply. About a minute later, the pair of them walked in. Opal had her arms around Eska, who was wrapped in the blanket that she had previously refused and trembling slightly.

"I was not aware that these photographers would get so close to me," Eska stated in a low voice with eyes averted. "One of them even attempted to touch me. I assumed that they would treat me with the respect that is due to a princess of the Northern Water Tribe."

"You did great nevertheless," Opal told her. "You looked outwardly calm, and that's all that matters for a photograph. Probably every woman in Republic City will want to own that dress. Now, how about some ice cream?"

Once they were all situated with their bowls, Asami ventured, "So we heard the great news! Both pieces of it. When are you due, Opal?"

"Around the winter solstice," the airbender replied as she wiped a stray dribble off Kinalik's mouth.

"Ah. You'll have to make sure that his or her birthday doesn't get lost in the solstice festivities," Korra said. "My mom's birthday is around that time, and when she was a kid her parents thought that it would be a great idea to combine the two celebrations. They were wrong." Oh, sure, Mom had never _complained_ about it, but it must have bothered her, since Dad had always taken great care to hold a distinct birthday celebration for her every year.

"We'll keep that in mind," Opal vowed.

Bolin chimed in, "Don't worry. No birthdays left behind! More cake is always better than less; just like we talked about, right, Ki?"

Kinalik looked up from licking the last remnants of ice cream from her bowl.

"Anyway," Asami cut in, "Sorry to interrupt, but what I was getting at was that you'll need to release a statement at some point; both for the pregnancy and your new relationship arrangement. Timing's important here. If you release an announcement too early, there's a risk that Opal will miscarry, or that you decide that the relationship isn't working out. On the other hand, if you wait until you're more certain, the press will continue to track your every move until they get answers."

"Would they not do that regardless?" Eska inquired. She appeared to have returned to her baseline state.

"Somewhat. But at least you'd be spared the speculation."

"Perhaps we should discuss this when my daughter is not in the room," Eska hinted not-so-subtly.

"Good idea," Korra answered. "Kinalik, the grown-ups are going to do some talking alone now. Let's get you set up in the living room."

After a long discussion, it was determined that they would announce the pregnancy only for the time being, and take more time to think about what to do for the relationship part. For all the planning that went into it, though, the actual statement turned out to be quite brief.

"All right, final check to make sure we're all happy with this," Asami said. " 'We are delighted to announce that Opal Beifong is expecting her first child, and request that you respect our privacy at this time.' Does that work?" Truth be told, they had spent the majority of their time deciding which synonyms for "happy" and "pregnant" to use. Eska had also lobbied hard for a longer announcement with more formal wording, but Asami had insisted that "short is better."

"Will they?" Eska asked.

"Will they what?"

"Respect our privacy."

Asami tapped the non-inked end of her pen against her chin. "Probably not. It's good to put that in there anyway, though."

"In that case, I deem it acceptable," Eska replied. Bolin and Opal agreed.

"Okay then! We'll send this off first thing tomorrow morning," Asami stated.

Opal asked, "What should be our next step?"

"I'd say probably keep a low profile for now," Korra advised. "You can use the time to start planning for the future. There's nothing really scheduled except for Bolin's testing in a couple of weeks."

Bolin looked a bit anxious. "Yeah, Asami was talking about that in the car. So should I study for it or what?"

"I wouldn't recommend it. If you do too well, they'll think you don't have a problem. It's always good to emphasize what you can't do, rather than what you can," Asami told him. At everyone's stares, she added, "What? My company takes all the safety precautions that it can, but accidents sometimes happen, and then those cases need to be evaluated."

Just then, Korra's stomach growled.

"Whoops. Uh, I guess ice cream can only last us so long," she commented. "It's past seven. How about we get some takeout and call it a day?"

\---------------------------------------------------------------------------

Ugh. Cramps. They were particularly bad this time, and Eska had been awoken by them in the middle of the night. This morning, they were not much better. So far, she had only managed to get up long enough to use the bathroom and send Kinalik down to breakfast. Oh well. At least now she knew with certainty that she was _not_ pregnant.

She curled up as tightly as she could to try to lessen the pain, only to be badly startled by a bone-crunchingly loud knock on her door. To her dismay, she screeched quite loudly.

"Uh…sorry," Bolin said from the other side of the door.

"It is all right," Eska told him. "I startle easily. Just try to knock more quietly in the future."

"Like this?" He tried again.

"Well, it is better."

Bolin finally opened the door, and his brows knit in concern when he saw her.

"I am slightly under the weather today," she explained. "Female problems."

"Oh. Well, I don't know much about that. Are you going to be able to get out of bed? Asami wanted to talk with us about more money stuff."

"I will be able," Eska confirmed. And she was, although she had to take care not to give into the urge to walk doubled-over.

Opal, Korra, and Asami were waiting for them in the living room; Opal looked reasonably well today, albeit still a little wan. Kinalik was sitting on the floor arranging the toy Satomobiles by color; she was so absorbed in this that she didn't even look up when Eska entered the room.

"We just got a call from _Republic City Style_ a few minutes ago," Asami said without preamble. "They got our announcement, and say they'll pay a million yuans for photos of you three, another million for an interview, and more for any possible wedding and/or baby photos, with the exact amount to be determined later. What do you think?"

Bolin looked awestruck and commented, "A million. Wow. That's a lot. What'd we even do with it all?"

Opal and Eska, on the other hand, had grown up wealthy and were able to think about the issue more pragmatically.

"We could use it as a down payment on a house," Opal suggested. "The lease on our apartment runs out next month, and we all can't just intrude on you forever."

Eska deemed this a good idea; she didn't want to draw upon her own funds unless she absolutely had to.

"You can stay here as long as you need to!" Korra protested.

Asami put an arm around her and said, "Of course they can. But they'll want a place that they can call home eventually."

"Exactly what would this interview entail?" Eska inquired. An image arose in her head of the three of them being interrogated in a small, dimly-lit room, such as Bolin's brother might do.

"Well, when we did it at least, they started off with a photoshoot, took a break for lunch, and then did the interview," Korra told her.

Bolin raised his hand as if he were in a class. "Question."

"Yes?"

"What if one of us says something stupid? Or doesn't know how to answer something?"

By "one of us," Eska assumed that he meant either her or himself. She could not see Opal ever saying anything stupid.

Asami quickly answered, "We can help you practice. We've been through the same thing, so they're probably going to ask similar things with you. And if you really don't want to answer something, you can say 'no comment.' But try to save that for emergencies."

"In that case, I believe that two million yuans would be a sufficient reward for several hours of unpleasantness," Eska opined. "Does anyone think otherwise?"

Bolin and Opal murmured their assent.

"Okay, I'll call them and get it all scheduled!" Asami said.

"I believe I shall retire now," Eska stated. She currently had no appetite; all she wanted was her bed and a heating pad.

As she left, she heard Bolin ask, "Hey Ki! Wanna dig a hole to Ba Sing Se in the backyard?"


	18. In Which Photos are Both Taken and Looked At

In keeping with her cousin's recommendation, Eska spent most of her time at the Sato mansion over the next twelve days. Poor Kinalik was confined here for the time being to keep her out of the public eye. Although it was exasperating having a new safety concern as soon as the old one had been dealt with, nobody thought that she was equipped to deal with the publicity yet. For the first couple of days, the hole to Ba Sing Se had occupied her, but she had grown bored of that quickly, since it was slow going once they got to the rockier soil. Having Rohan over helped, as did continuing her earthbending lessons with Korra and playtime with Pabu, but these activities only ate up so much time. Therefore, Kinalik grew restless, and her frustration caused her to act out. After her daughter had three meltdowns in as many days, Eska realized that she had to start to venture out and look at schools. As she had been fearing, it was challenging to locate somewhere that comprehended that high intellect and cognitive issues were not mutually exclusive traits.

"If I have to hear 'Children learn through play' on even one more occasion, the dolphin piranhas may not be sufficient to extinguish my rage," Eska complained to Opal after one such meeting. "Kinalik learns through learning and plays through playing. _Why_ is that so difficult for them to comprehend?"

Every now and then, she accompanied Bolin and Opal on their first attempts at house-hunting. However, she could only do one or two houses a day before her brain got overloaded and stopped processing efficiently; if Bolin and Opal found one they liked while she wasn't there, they would have to set up another visit so Eska could approve it too. For now, though, that was a moot point, since house-hunting was a struggle similar to that of school-hunting. This was largely because of their requirement of two bedrooms, ideally right next to each other, that were of similar size. The three of them had decided that, while Eska was welcome to sleep in Bolin and Opal's room at any time, she would do best if she had somewhere to retreat when feeling overwhelmed.

Eska's boyfriend and girlfriend also spent much of their time at Asami's house, although every now and then they would return to their apartment to spend a night and begin packing their things. (The remainder of Eska's own belongings had finally been delivered while she was in Zaofu.) Asami had started giving them driving lessons as well, so they wouldn't have to keep relying on her or Mako for transportation. To be honest, Opal was much better at it than Bolin was. Eska had attempted a couple of lessons herself, but ended up finding keeping track of so many things simultaneously to be beyond her.

Finally, there was interview practice, also with Asami. She went over all of the questions that they would be likely to be asked, and role-played until they had their answers honed to perfection. She did not pull any punches when it came to the tougher questions, although often she would wince and apologize after asking one of them.

As for the nights, none of them had felt equal to the task of having sex since they'd returned to Republic City, but there were other ways that they showed their affection. Many evenings, Eska joined in on Bolin and Opal's tradition of cuddling and listening to radio dramas. One night, a few days after they got back, there was a meteor shower, and even Kinalik was allowed to stay up late to watch it. The moon was only the smallest sliver in the sky, so viewing conditions were quite good.

"Is that Sozin's Comet?" Kinalik asked as a particularly large and bright streak crossed the sky. At first, Eska was perplexed as to how her daughter knew of that comet, but then recalled that one of her new picture books had featured it.

"No, child," Eska told her while patting her head, "It is not. That will not appear for another twenty-five years, and we shall all be quite old by then."

This explanation satisfied Kinalik, yet Eska wondered where they would all be in twenty-five years. Would her relationship with Opal and Bolin stand that test of time?

\---------------------------------------------------------------------------

At last, the morning of their interview arrived. They had decided to schedule it on the same day in which Bolin would be having his testing done in the late afternoon. That way, they could get all of their nerve-wracking tasks accomplished in one day.

"You don't have to be so nervous," Asami told them as they were seated at the breakfast table. "We covered just about everything, didn't we? You all should be fine."

"Nervous? Who said anything about that?" Bolin inquired. "I'm as non-nervous as can be; as cool as a cucumber!" However, Eska saw how his hands were fidgeting in his lap.

It had turned out that they would be doing things in a different order than Korra and Asami had. First the interview would be conducted at this house, and then they would be taken back to the magazine's headquarters for lunch and the photos. Korra and Asami had taken Kinalik to play in the pool so she would not interfere.

It pleased Eska that the interviewer knocked on the front door at precisely the predetermined time; not a minute sooner or later. She was a younger woman with short hair. As her assistant moved the bulky recording machine and blank disks into the house, she introduced herself.

"Great to meet you! My name is Meiying!" she said. She extended her hand towards Eska, who was uncertain what to do. Did Meiying want her to kiss her hand? That seemed backward.

"She wants you to shake it," Bolin whispered. Right. Eska kept forgetting that this was the custom here.

Once everyone's hands were duly shaken, they moved into the living room, where the interview would take place. Bolin, Opal, and Eska settled themselves on the couch while Meiying loaded the first of what would presumably be many disks into the recorder.

"Are you ready to begin now?" she asked. When they nodded, she pressed the button and sat down on a chair that had been positioned directly across from the couch. Meiying took a moment to state the purpose of this interview as well as the date and time (Eska supposed that was in case the disk got lost), and then started in on the questions.

"First, to clarify…is it correct that you three are in a romantic arrangement together?"

They looked at each other. There was no avoiding it now.

"It is," Bolin confirmed as he squeezed both Eska and Opal's hands.

"Great! Then I'll start with what everyone has been wondering: How did you three end up together?"

Opal briefly explained the circumstances that had led to their stay in Zaofu, then said, "We happened to get bedrooms next to each other, and, well…things went from there." Asami had advised them not to mention either Suyin's role in this or the complications with Baatar.

"M-hm. And of course, Bolin and Opal are known to have an established relationship, but is it true that he also had a past relationship with you, Eska?"

"Obviously, since we have a child together," Eska replied shortly; this was another area in which Asami had suggested to not go into much detail.

"I see. And you have another child on the way! How exciting!"

Opal did that little blushing smile of hers and replied, "I know. I can't wait. _We_ can't wait."

Meiying asked a few more easy questions about the pregnancy (when Opal was due, whether she was having any cravings yet, and so forth), then said, "Now, back to Bolin. Obviously, many men in the United Republic will be jealous of you for having two girlfriends at once who are both happy with the arrangement; what would you say to them?"

Bolin hesitated. That had _not_ been a question that Asami had included in their practicing. Finally, however, he thought of an answer.

"I'd tell them that it's…um…not like what they think," he said. "They're not in it only for my…what would be the right word, Eska?"

"Pleasure? Amusement? Entertainment?" Eska suggested.

"Yeah, what she said. All of those. We're all in this together, and we're all equal."

Eska was impressed that he'd managed to come up with that on the fly.

Meiying occupied herself with scribbling for several seconds. Then she said, "Back to you, Eska. I understand that your twin brother elected to stay in Zaofu?"

"We decided that our destinies lay in different places. Both literally and figuratively," Eska answered cautiously.

"Any reason for this sudden change? You two have always been known for being very close."

There was something there that Eska disliked; did Meiying put the slightest emphasis on "very," or was that simply her imagination?

"You would have to ask him," was all she said.

"Right." Meiying clearly saw that thjs line of questioning would go nowhere. "Speaking of destiny, you have certainly wasted no time in carving out yours! Were you aware that the boutique which sold your homecoming dress sold out of it within three days and now has to make more?"

Eska relaxed a bit. "I was not. Of all the things I may have imagined myself becoming, a fashion icon was certainly not one of them."

"And what exactly was running through your mind when you bought it?" A rather asinine question, although at least one that was easy to answer.

"It was simple. My favored colors are purple and black; even more than blue. I saw that the dress was these colors, and thus I purchased it."

Meiying murmured, "Splendid quote," as she did more scribbling. Then, "Now, I wanted to ask you a few questions about the Northern Water Tribe; many people find your culture to be quite mysterious."

Eska felt her facial muscles contract into a scowl. "We are not mysterious. We are people, the same as everyone else."

"Right, of course," Meiying said quickly. "But people who keep to yourselves, more often than not. What would you say is the biggest cultural difference between your homeland and the United Republic?"

This required careful choosing of words; Eska didn't feel like a description of their intricate courtship rituals was warranted.

"I am not certain that I am the best person to respond to that query," she finally replied. "I was raised in a highly formal and sheltered setting, so I do not know much about the daily lives of our subjects."

"Well, then, what would you say would be the thing that you miss most?"

"My robes," Eska admitted. "It is too warm here for me to wear them at the moment; up north, one can be attired in them year-round. I always found the weight of them to be comforting."

Bolin winked at her. Eska knew what he was thinking: that she liked other heavy things on her body also. At least he had the sense not to say anything. And Meiying was too busy changing recording disks to notice.

When she got back to her chair, she said, "Okay, one more question, and then I'll be asking some for all three of you. What do you like the most and the least about Republic City?"

"I like barbecued pork buns the best, and the noise level the least."

Meiying smiled a bit and said, "I believe that many people in this city would agree with you on both counts."

"Of course they would agree with me. I am correct."

After that, there followed a long series of questions about how the three of them were adjusting to their new life together (which they answered honestly, although Eska suspected that some of the portions that were critical toward the press would be cut), and then it was over. That had not gone nearly as badly as Eska had expected. Unlike the person who had interviewed Korra and Asami, Meiying had had enough tact to not venture into the subjects of marriage plans or their sex life.

They were driven to the magazine's photo studio directly afterwards by the company car; Eska brought a large, irregularly-shaped object wrapped in a cloth. Bolin and Opal glanced at it curiously, but Eska kept her silence; all would be revealed in good time.

True to Korra's word, lunch was waiting for them when they reached the studio. The meal was whole fish steamed with green onion, ginger, and garlic, on a bed of rice and vegetables. They were given the option of having their fish with or without the head still on; Opal was the only one of them who chose to have it removed.

"You do not know what you are missing," Eska opined as she dug out the fish's cheeks with her chopsticks. "The head is the best part; any member of the Water Tribe knows that."

"The eyeballs creep me out," Opal confessed as she determinedly did not look at Eska's and Bolin's plates.

"You should consume some. They are full of nutrients for the baby," Eska argued. "What is more, they are considered to be a particular delicacy in the Northern Water Tribe."

"Mako and I used to take fish heads from trash heaps at the harbor and eat them raw," Bolin chimed in. "Not that we knew anything about delicacies. But we'd take protein anywhere we'd get it, even though it did make us sick sometimes."

"Guys. Seriously. If you don't cut it out right now, then _I'm_ going to be sick," Opal told them.

Bolin looked shamefaced and whispered, "Whoops. Sorry. I forgot."

"I still believe that you are omitting a crucial component," Eska said. Nevertheless, she was careful to eat her eyeballs while Opal was looking elsewhere.

They were whisked over to the room in which the photo shoot would take place directly after the meal. It was a large room, with cameras and lights at all sorts of different angles. There was also a closet off to one side, which held various costumes and props, and a styling room off to another. After they all endured getting their hair and makeup (including the dreaded lipstick) done in this latter room, they met the photographer, who was an older woman with long gray hair and glasses. She introduced herself as Annchi.

"You all look beautiful!" Annchi gushed. "I think we're going to take some great pictures today!" At Eska's doubtful glance, she added, "And I don't just say that to everyone."

They started off with photos of all three of them together, with what seemed like a hundred shots for each pose. Yet Eska had to admit that Annchi knew her field well. Her personal favorite pose had shown them from above, holding hands while standing in a circle.

After a very long time, they took a break to change costumes and get makeup retouched. Then it was time to take pictures of each couple.

"You are all doing wonderful so far!" Annchi told them. "Eska…do you think you could try to smile for a few of these? It's a happy occasion."

"This _is_ my happy face," Eska insisted.

Opal walked up and said, "Don't worry. I know what to do." She leaned over to Eska and whispered in her ear, "Remember when we talked about something _magical_?"

Eska certainly did, and started laughing all over again. Annchi exclaimed, "That's _beautiful_!" and snapped pictures at a speed which almost defied the laws of physics.

Once the mini-session was over, Bolin inquired, "Opal, why did you never tell me that Eska looks so pretty like that?"

"We got kind of distracted that day," Opal reminded him. Then, to Eska, "See? He thinks your smile looks nice too!"

"If you insist," Eska conceded. Next, it was her turn to get a rest while Bolin and Opal did their pictures together. Finally, however, the moment arrived: the pictures of her and Bolin.

"Retrieve my parcel," she ordered one of the technicians. When this was done, Eska pulled off to cloth to reveal that the object was in fact the stuffed turtleduck that Bolin had won for her at the carnival all those years ago.

"Now I see where the nickname came from!" Opal said.

"I'd…totally forgotten about that," Bolin admitted. "I can't believe you kept it for this long."

"Why would I not? It is not everywhere that one can find a nearly human-sized stuffed turtleduck of such quality," Eska pointed out.

Bolin's hand went up to scratch his head, but he caught it before he ruined his carefully-styled hair. "I guess you're right."

They were posed in several different ways, both with and without the turtleduck. Then Bolin did something unexpected. He picked Eska up and slung her over his shoulder so that she was facing front. She heard the camera click away, and supposed that her expression of shock would be a thing of merriment to the readers if this picture ended up being published.

" _Unhand me_ ," she ordered in a stern tone; really, though, it was just for show. She actually found the opportunity to get such an up-close look at his muscles to be quite titillating.

Once she was lowered back to the ground, Eska said. "All right. I allowed you to manhandle me. Annchi, don't you think it is fair that I return the favor?"

"Sure," Annchi replied; her voice was serious but her eyes were glimmering. "What, exactly, did you have in mind?"

And thus, they ended their session together with Bolin on his hands and knees (on a padded mat due to his injury) while Eska sat on his back like she was riding Korra's polar bear dog. He took it all in stride.

\---------------------------------------------------------------------------

While Bolin was getting off the floor with much assistance from Eska, Annchi started saying something about individual glamor shots. Opal cut her off.

"Sorry to interrupt, but I'm not sure that's a good idea. We're all tired, and I think Eska's getting overwhelmed."

Bolin saw that Eska was getting a sort of spaced-out stare, so he agreed that it was best to get her home. And it turned out to be a good thing that they did, because Mako's car was already waiting for him when they returned to Asami's house. Bolin cringed. Evidently, the photo shoot had gone on longer than he had anticipated.

"Listen, I gotta get a move on," he told Eska and Opal. "See you for dinner, I guess?"

"Sure thing," Opal said. "I'm sure Eska and I will find plenty to do. Don't you, Eska?"

"Certainly," Eska affirmed as she nodded her head. The pair ran into the house holding hands. Bolin decided that maybe he shouldn't think too much about what they were going to do…otherwise he'd have some explaining to do to his brother.

"Sorry for keeping you waiting!" he said to Mako as he clambered up to the passenger seat and buckled himself in.

"No prob. I got here early," Mako replied. He turned the key in the ignition, and off they went. "So did all the magazine stuff go all right?"

Once Bolin had filled him in on all the highlights, they lapsed into silence.

"Is something bothering you?" Mako asked.

"I was just thinking…I know Asami told me that it's okay if I do badly on this…but what if I do _really_ badly? What if I do the worst that anyone has ever done and all the testing people laugh about it once I leave?"

"I've read a lot of these reports, Bolin," Mako answered. "Trust me. You are _not_ going to do the worst that anyone has ever done. All they want is for you to give it your best shot and tell them the truth."

"At least that doesn't seem like it'll be an issue," Bolin admitted.

"And anyway, I have a bit of news that you may find interesting."

"Oh?"

"Yep. You remember Toza, right? Well, of course you do. I got a phone call from him yesterday. Apparently, ticket sales haven't been that great, and Shiro Shinobi is looking for a color commentator to shake things up a bit. I got the feeling that they set this up with you in mind, although Toza didn't say that directly."

Bolin gaped at him.

"You think I should apply?" he asked.

"I think you'd be an idiot not to. You've still got a lot of fans there who didn't forget about you, and would love to see you back in that building even as a commentator. In fact, I already took the liberty of picking up an application form. We can work on it together tonight. Or tomorrow, if you're too tired from the testing. I finally got a couple of days off now that we've reached a temporary lull in the drug ring investigation, so my schedule is fairly flexible."

Wow. Just…wow. Less than a month ago, Bolin had thought that his life was over…but then, all sorts of good stuff had started happening.

"Can I do a happy-cry?" he asked; he could already feel tears start to well up.

"Maybe save it for later. We're here, see? The examiners might get the wrong idea."

"Oh. Right."

No matter how this testing went, he would still have something cool to tell Opal and Eska, he thought as Mako parked the car.

\---------------------------------------------------------------------------

Having sex with a woman was very different from having sex with a man, Opal thought. Not that sex with Bolin was bad. He always made certain that Opal enjoyed the experience as much as he did. However, try as he might, there was a finite number of times in one day that he could be ready for action. With Eska, the possibilities were endless.

Opal was quick to discover that for all Eska's apathetic demeanor, she was surprisingly demonstrative in bed. When she went down on Eska, the waterbender made the most adorable little noises and squirms. It made her feel very special, knowing that Eska trusted her enough to let her guard down like that.

Once Eska had had her first orgasm, she said that she was ready to try to do the same to Opal. And she did quite well for her first time, although sometimes she got a bit too into it and Opal had to remind her to slow down.

"That was not nearly as disgusting as I had feared," Eska remarked after guiding Opal through the aftershocks. _Don't feel hurt_ , Opal told herself. _She means it as a compliment._ There had been many a time when Huan had attempted to say something positive or tell a joke, only to get yelled at by people who misinterpreted him.

"Try rephrasing that in the future," she prompted as gently as she could. "Anyway, there is such a thing as flavored lube. Would that be something you'd be interested in trying?"

Eska quirked an eyebrow. "What sorts of flavors?"

"I'm not sure of all of them. I think strawberry's pretty popular, though."

"Somewhere, there resides an inventor who has excessive amounts of free time," Eska commented. That made Opal giggle.

After a brief nap, they were ready for another round, using their fingers this time.

"Are there methods other than these two?" Eska asked after. They were cuddling in the spooning position, with Eska as the little spoon. Opal had reached her hands around, and was idly playing with the waterbender's adorable little breasts. They were small enough to still be relatively perky even after a pregnancy.

After taking time to think it over, she said, "There's genital-on-genital contact, of course. And there are all sorts of different positions to try out. As you are aware, Korra and Asami like to use toys."

"Indeed," Eska said. The other day, while the three of them were out looking at a house, Kinalik had gotten into Korra and Asami's collection, which implied that she had been able to read the character for "toys" that had been written on the box. She had then run around the house with various items in excitement at her discovery. A mortified Korra had finally explained that these were _grown-up toys_ , and had reported that Kinalik had become indignant that the grown-ups were keeping toys from her and had exclaimed, "I'm telling Mama!" Such were the joys of life with a three-year-old.

"Maybe sometime we should devote an entire day to trying things out?" Opal suggested. Although she had been careful to hang a sock on the doorknob, Bolin would likely want to talk about his experience at length when he got home, and it would be rude to keep him waiting for too long.

"I would be amenable to that," Eska replied. She shifted slightly, which gave Opal a view of a pile of books that were stacked on the table. The one on top was bound in a fetching blue color with what looked to be genuine silver leaf accents. Eska followed her gaze.

"That is my scrapbook," she explained. "All well-born Northern Water Tribe girls are expected to keep them, so my mother forced me to keep one as well. I roundly despised it. Would you like to peruse the contents?"

"Sure, if you're okay with that."

Eska rose, made a brief stop to put on her bathrobe, and retrieved the album. She opened it, and saw that the first page held a photograph a young woman about Eska's age, who had to be her mother. She was seated in a chair, holding one twin in each arm, and not smiling.

"You look a lot like your mom," Opal observed. Although Eska's mother had a rounder face and wider-set eyes, the resemblance was there.

"It is often said that Desna and I take after her," Eska said. "We certainly look nothing like Father."

Opal started flipping through the pages, which showed Eska and Desna growing from babies, to toddlers, to school-aged children. As with the first photo, all pictures were carefully posed, and not one person was smiling in any of them. When she mentioned this to Eska, the other woman said, "My parents were never believers in candid photography."

Next up were a series of journal entries and poems, most of which were on the subject of how boring everything was. There were also several drawings of skulls that actually got quite detailed and good as Eska got more practice. ("Mother always wanted me to draw _nice_ things like flowers. I refused.") These were interspersed with more photographs, which showed the twins aging into their teens.

"This one was taken at our sixteenth birthday," Eska stated while pointing at a picture of the two in formalwear. "We had nothing to look forward to except a lifetime of drudgery, and I believe that it shows in our facial expressions. I had no idea that our life situation would change so rapidly."

In fact, the very next page had a picture of Bolin and Eska posing at the Spirit Festival. They were standing quite stiffly, with a few inches of space between them. Bolin was smiling, slightly uneasily to be sure, but still the first smile that Opal had seen in this album. Eska had been caught looking away from the camera.

"Desna insisted on taking it," Eska said. "I did not know at the time how important it would come to be. Now, I wish it had been of better quality."

"Well, now you have all those good ones that Annchi took," Opal told her.

"That is true."

The next picture was of Eska and Desna's coronation, which was followed with a series of pictures where the waterbender showed off her growing belly. She was alone in all of the shots. When Opal pointed this out, Eska said, "That is because Desna was behind the camera, of course."

"But…what about your mother?"

"She did not know. Neither did anyone except Desna. There was that one servant girl, but I do not believe that she ever told anybody."

Opal thought that that must have been an extremely difficult experience, having to endure a pregnancy without any female support. She said as much. Eska dismissed her sympathy with a flippant, "Obviously I survived," yet looked away as she said it.

"You look really big in that one!" Opal stated shortly after, in an attempt to steer the conversation into safer waters.

"Yes. That is odd, seeing as how Kinalik was such a small baby. It must have been the manner in which I was carrying."

And then the baby pictures began. There were several of a disheveled Eska, soaked with sweat and holding a baby who couldn't have been much more than a few minutes old. Opal saw that some of the shots included a short, stout woman in her sixties.

"Is that your grandmother?" she asked.

"No. That is Akna. The midwife. She is fearless," Eska informed her.

"She definitely looks it," Opal agreed. The remainder of the photographs documented Kinalik's growth from an infant to the child that Opal knew. This time around, there were candid shots included too, and Kinalik looked more relaxed and content than Eska had. One picture that Opal particularly liked was one that looked to have been taken about a year ago, which showed Kinalik sitting on Eska's lap, with the two of them posing so that their cheeks were touching. Another portrayed Eska's daughter at maybe a year and a half old with streaks painted all over her face and the surrounding walls; it appeared that she had gotten into her mother's eyeliner.

When Opal closed the book, she wasn't sure what to say. She thought of the old adage that one picture was worth a thousand words. In that case, this album told a whole novel; one that was mostly sad but had a hopeful ending.

"What is it?" Eska inquired after an extended silence.

"Just that…thank you for sharing this with me," Opal said as she mimicked the thumb-kiss that Eska often exchanged with her daughter. "It makes a lot of things clearer. You certainly won't have to go through any of _that_ anymore."

"I did not suffer as much as you may think," Eska stated. "This life was all I knew, so it never occurred to me to wish for anything different."

"Still. Bolin and I love you very much, and we think you're an incredibly brave and strong woman."

They resumed their spooning position, and lay there quietly for a while. Then Eska said slowly, "I feel that I must thank you in return for our conversational exchange. It has made me realize that I have some unfinished business in the land of my birth. Would you and Bolin mind if I were to make a brief expedition there in approximately one week?"

"We wouldn't. You know that! You're certainly allowed to go anywhere you want at any time. Although I am glad that you gave us advance notice."

"Very well," Eska replied. She got out of bed again, walked to her desk, took out pen and paper, and began to write. Just then, Opal heard the front door opening and closing, and Bolin shouting out, "Is anyone home?" She quickly dressed and exited the room to hear what he had to say, leaving Eska to write her letter in peace.


	19. In Which Everything Comes Full Circle

"Mail time!" Bolin sang out as he walked into the living room with his arms full to the brim with envelopes. Eska had been sitting there resting after packing for her trip tomorrow. (Opal was in a spare bedroom napping.)

"At least it is less than yesterday," Eska commented as Bolin dropped the pile onto the floor.

"Actually, no, it's not," Bolin told her. "I couldn't carry all of them in here in one trip. I think there's another armload or two still out there."

This past week had been hectic, and a stark contrast to the two that preceded it. The issue of _Republic City Style_ with their story had started circulation three days ago, and they were so inundated with letters that Asami had to make special trips to the post office to pick them up. Eska knelt by the pile, selected a letter at random and opened the envelope.

"Wonderful. Another person who is calling us immoral and a bad example for the children," she intoned as she unfolded the paper. "Oh. And they mentioned the Si Wong desert cult. What a surprise." Korra and Asami had told them all about that cult.

"Lots of these people sure love bringing it up, don't they? Maybe we should start keeping track of how many times we see it," Bolin said as he plopped down beside her.

"Indeed," Eska replied as she reached for another letter. "They do not appear to realize that just because I _look_ twelve doesn't mean that it is my actual chronological age."

She unfolded the second letter, which she noted had been written on nice stationery. "This one, however…the writer thanks us for bringing this kind of relationship into the public eye, and…I believe that signature is of a male name…he says that he's been with his boyfriend and girlfriend for several years. He further relates that they all wish us the best of luck."

Bolin put his arm around her. "Kind of makes all the hate mail worthwhile, doesn't it? Knowing that we made at least some people really happy."

It did help. Nevertheless, there was a _lot_ of hate mail. Eska opted to maintain silence as she leaned into Bolin's side-hug, and then picked out a third letter. However, before she was able to open it, she heard the clock on the mantel chime.

"It seems that I must collect Kinalik," she sighed. That had been her triumph of the week: finding an acceptable school. It was a private school, with a uniform and everything; these "big girl clothes" had thrilled her daughter to no end. More importantly, though, it was safe from the cameras, the class sizes were small, and the administrators had been more willing to accommodate Kinalik than most. There was even an option to hire an aide for one-on-one support if Kinalik had trouble adjusting. Although their curriculum was still not quite as rigorous as Eska would have liked, she realized that this was likely the best she was going to get, and was continuing to search for outside academic resources.

Today had been Kinalik's first day there. She had been possibly the happiest that Eska had ever seen her about the new uniform, ID card, lunchbox, and school bag. Once the items had been stowed in a cubby, Kinalik had continued to stand in front of the cubby and stare at her possessions, her hands forming excited claws.

"What a lovely child!" the head teacher had exclaimed after introducing herself to Eska as Liling. "I think she'll do just fine here."

As Eska headed off to the school (she had chosen it in part because it was walking distance from Asami's house), she could only hope that Liling's intuition had proven correct.

When she entered the classroom, she could not find Kinalik in her initial scan, and her heart skipped a beat. Then she saw her over in the corner, playing in a toy kitchen with another, slightly older girl. This girl, much like Kinalik's other friend Rohan, appeared to be of a docile nature and content to let the smaller girl take the lead.

"Hello!" Liling called out behind Eska, causing her to jump. Upon seeing Eska whirl around, the teacher said, "Whoops, I'm sorry. I thought that you knew I was there."

Once, not that long ago, Eska may have harshly berated the other woman for sneaking up on her, but she was attempting to learn to have more patience. Therefore, she waved it off and commanded, "Inform me of this day's events."

"Well, things went pretty smoothly. As you can see, she's already made friends with Michiko there. She did hit her head during recess and got a bit upset over that, but it was only a little bump. Nothing to worry about."

"I see. Thank you for the report," Eska stated. Kinalik still hadn't noticed her presence, so she had to walk over to the toy kitchen and give a gentle rap on it to get the child's attention.

"Hello, offspring," she said. Kinalik looked up and exclaimed, "Mama!" She did not put up a fight due to her activity being interrupted, which was a relief. She talked a mile a minute on the way home, of playing on the swings and walking in a line and something called "maringes and oranges" for snack. (Eska wasn't completely sure what this last one was, although she thought it might be a mispronounciation of "mandarin oranges.")

When they returned to the living room, Bolin remained where Eska had left him, and had a rather thick envelope in his hand. However, he was now accompanied by Opal, and the mail pile had diminished in size. Pabu was using some of the discarded hate mail to make himself a nest, and Kinalik ran to join him.

"Hey!" Bolin said. "We found the results of my testing in that pile while you were gone, and were waiting for you to get back to open it."

"That is thoughtful of you," Eska remarked as she sat down next to Opal. Bolin dramatically opened the envelope, and drew out about ten typed pages.

"Do you want us to read that for you?" Opal asked as Bolin squinted at the first page.

"Yeah, that'd probably go faster," Bolin conceded. He handed the pages over to Opal, and Eska peered over her shoulder.

The first three pages were the history section; Opal flipped through those quickly. Then there was a section called "Behavioral Observations." Some phrases jumped out at Eska: _Client was pleasant and cooperative…appeared to put forth his best effort…speech was hyperverbal and circumstantial at times…results appear to be a valid reflection of the client's cognitive ability…_

"What does it say?!" Bolin demanded.

"That you're nice, you talk too much, and you're not making things up," Eska told him.

"Oh. Well, I already knew all those things. Where's the new stuff?"

"Have a little patience. We're reading as quickly as we can," Opal chided.

"Sorry," Bolin whispered. He clapped a hand over his mouth to avoid any further untimely remarks.

Then came the test results, in language so technical that even Eska had difficulty following it. She did, however, see the words "impaired range," "borderline impaired range," and "low-average range" thrown around quite a bit.

Finally, the two women got to the summary, which started off with several paragraphs restating what had previously been said, and a long list of recommendations. Finally, they reached the important part. Opal began to read aloud.

" 'Overall, findings, as well as the history provided by the client and his brother, are consistent with a mild traumatic brain injury, although an underlying attention deficit disorder cannot be ruled out. The client appears to be motivated to learn compensatory strategies, and has relatively intact non-verbal reasoning skills. Therefore, prognosis is fair-to-good with follow-through of the above recommendations.'"

"Hold on. All this is _mild_?" Bolin burst out before he could stop himself. "I don't think I wanna know what the severe ones are like, then."

"Did you not notice the portion at the end?" Eska inquired.

"No, not really. I guess I was thinking so much about 'mild' that my ears switched off. Why, was it something really bad?"

"It's good news," Opal assured him. "They think that you will probably be able to improve if you take the right steps."

Bolin let out a whoop and drew both Opal and Eska into a tight embrace. Eska did not exactly find it comfortable, but decided that it would be best not to complain.

"I'm gonna get better! _I'm gonna get better_!" he shouted. "Hold on, I have to go call Mako and tell him!"

He dashed off, leaving Eska and Opal to stare at each other.

"He'll have his work cut out for him, though," Opal said as she looked through the papers again. "I'm not sure he understands that. There'll be night classes–we'll have to help him with studying–speech therapy to help him with memory, maybe employment rehabilitation, and more of these evaluations in the future."

"He has us to assist him," Eska pointed out. "He is not going to shirk any of his responsibilities as long as I have anything to say about it."

Opal gave her a thoughtful look and said, "You're right."

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The next day, Bolin and Opal accompanied Eska to the harbor, where she would be taking a boat north. The former was too busy talking excitedly about his lunch interview that day to notice Eska's silence, but the latter was more perceptive. After obtaining Eska's permission, Opal gave her an extra-long hug by the boarding ramp, and whispered, " _You'll do fine_ ," right before they broke apart.

Eska would be lying if she said that the uncertainty of how events would proceed wasn't making her feel less confident in her abilities than Opal was; nevertheless, it was something she needed to do.

Yutai and Kirima had responded to her letter in a friendly manner, stating that they would be delighted to host her. They had also given her the option of a public reception in the throne room and banquet, which Eska had turned down in favor of a more private meeting. She suspected that they would prefer this arrangement too, and had only offered the public meeting out of politeness.

The evening Eska arrived, she had supper in Yutai and Kirima's private reception room with them and their three children. Eska had actually never met their children before; they had a twelve-year-old daughter named Arnaq and two sons named Inuksuk and Silla, who were nine and seven respectively. Eska discerned nothing special about the boys, but noticed that Arnaq had inherited her mother's height, and already had an air of feminine grace about her that Eska had never been able to master.

After the meal, Kirima walked over to Eska as the latter was arising from her chair.

"We should have another chat," she said. "Don't you think so?"

"I believe that would be wise," Eska replied. As they walked into the sitting room, she recalled their previous conversation:

_"I attempted to change the Northern Water Tribe for good," Eska said. "And I failed. You must do it for me."_

_"We will certainly try," Kirima replied. "But don't blame yourself for this. You and your brother were put into an impossible situation."_

_"An impossible situation that was caused by my own moral failing," Eska stated bitterly._

_Kirima shook her head. "Eska. You were sixteen. I do not pretend to know every detail of what happened, but I can surmise that you were pushed toward adult responsibilities before you were equipped to handle them."_

_"And what if I still can't handle them?" Eska demanded. "What if I will never be able to handle them?"_

_"I believe you already are," Kirima said simply. "Being able to get your child out of here when she was no longer safe, at the cost of your throne and your home, showed maturity on your part. Besides…you are still young. This phase of your life may be over, but a new one is beginning. What's to say that you won't be able to effect change in some other way?"_

Kirima's sitting room was unusual for this palace in that it was actually supplied with comfortable furniture. Eska chose a particularly inviting-looking overstuffed chair on which to sit.

"How goes the ruling of this realm?" she inquired.

Kirima sighed and answered, "It is exhausting, as you know. I think people are finally starting to accept that we're here to stay, though. We decided that our first priority is thoroughly reading the legal code and seeing what's outdated. It hasn't had an overhaul in centuries." She cringed. "And if that ever gets done, we also want to look into opening our waters to more trade."

These plans would have been anathema to Eska even a few months ago. She had been raised to believe that since the Northern Water Tribe's isolation and legal customs were superior to all else, there was no need to change them. It was only after she had been exposed to some of the rest of the world that she'd started to think otherwise.

"It would appear that having someone of your educational background as co-chieftain has proven to be beneficial," she commented. She only hoped that this education would make the pair wise enough to not attempt to push forth too many reforms at one time.

"We do what we can. Oh, and you may be interested to know that we are naming Arnaq as our heir to be chieftain in her own right; not as a co-chieftain. Although we can only hope that she won't take the throne for decades to come."

Eska thought back to the self-possessed girl at dinner and said, "She does appear well-suited to the part."

"Hm. She looks up to you, you know."

" _She_? Looks up to _me_?" Eska asked.

Kirima gave a little laugh. "Oh yes. The other day, she said that she wanted a boyfriend and a girlfriend too. We told her, all right, but not until you're eighteen." At Eska's curious glance, she explained, "That's one of the first laws we want to change: raising the age of adulthood to eighteen like the Fire Nation did."

This was inspired by Eska's struggles, no doubt. In any case, she had much to think about as she went to bed.

The next day, she had many chores to do, and decided to tackle the most unpleasant one first. Kirima had arranged the meeting, and had even offered to be there herself as a mediator, but Eska thought that this would be better to be between only her and the other person. No servants would be allowed in either.

She rehearsed her words in her head a final time, and carefully checked herself in the mirror to ascertain that every aspect of her appearance was beyond reproach. Once she was satisfied, she set off for the location of their meeting: a room known as the Crystal Chamber for its elaborate ice sculptures. As she opened the door, she was somewhat worried that the other party would decide at the last minute to not show up, but then she saw the familiar wheelchair. Mother was sitting at the opposite end of the room, her back to Eska, devoid of her attendant as promised. When she heard Eska's approaching footsteps, her head turned.

"You came back," she stated.

"Yes," Eska replied. When Mother said nothing more in return, she added, "I presume you have heard of Desna's decision, as well as my unconventional cohabitation arrangement?"

"I have." Mother's voice was more even than Eska had anticipated, and revealed little.

"And?"

"I think that it is disgusting and immoral, and that I raised you better than that. However…"–she sighed heavily–"I have accepted that there's nothing I can do about it."

That was as close as Mother would come to giving her approval, and Eska knew it. However, that was not the only reason why she had returned.

"We need to discuss your treatment of me over the years," she said abruptly. That finally caused Mother to turn her chair around to face her. When she started to protest, Eska continued, "You will allow me to say my piece without any interruptions. Then I will reciprocate. I believe that you have already been informed of this condition of our meeting." Having had success with this format during her conversation with Bolin, she had opted to attempt it here also.

"I was," Mother admitted. Thus, for perhaps the very first time in Eska's life, Mother maintained her silence.

"All right. It is a simple matter. Throughout my childhood and even into my adult years, you have rarely said anything positive to me. You…you made me feel as if I were nothing more to you than a token in your marital alliance plans and breeding stock. Instead of accepting my differences, you made me ashamed to reveal my true self. I am only now discovering that there are other people with my difficulties; that I am not simply defective."

Eska's vocal cords were not accustomed to forming so many utterances in such a short time, so she had to pause briefly to give her throat time to recover from the assault of vibrations.

"I have people who care about me now," she continued once she was no longer overwhelmed. "People other than my brother. People who were able to look beyond my past errors and give me another chance. At our last meeting, you said that you only wanted what was best for me. And I believe that this is what is best for me. Should that not be enough?"

She lapsed into silence again, wondering if there was anything she should add, but she believed she had covered everything important.

"I have said my piece. You may proceed with yours," she told Mother.

"Very well," Mother replied. "It is no secret that I have always found you to be rude and disrespectful. And I admit that it was my primary goal to get you married as soon as was possible to provide the heir that your brother could not. There was more to it than that, though. I was young once myself, and I was _not_ considered marriage material."

Eska had not been aware of this; she had always assumed that Mother would have had suitors lined up around the block since she was so perfect.

Mother elaborated, "I always wanted nothing more than to be a wife and mother. But I have never been in good health; you know that. My parents likely did not expect me to live to adulthood, but I did, and now they had a problem. No man would want a sickly wife when there were so many healthy women to choose from; not least my own three sisters. Finally, since the chieftain owed my father a favor, he allowed his second son to be betrothed to me. It was meant to be a match of little consequence. Then, as you know, things changed."

Eska did know. First, her uncle had been banished, and then, scarcely more than a year later, her grandfather had died and Father had become chieftain. She knew that there had been some whispering about the rapidity of events, but that her grandfather had been in ill health anyway and nothing could be proven.

"By that time, I was nearly eighteen and in despair. My sisters had all been married by then; even my younger sister. Now that Unalaq was chieftain, we all thought that he would break the betrothal immediately and find a more suitable bride. Then, one wonderful day, he came to our house in person. He came into my room, knelt at my bed–I had been recovering from an illness–and told me that he wished to marry me as soon as possible. It was the happiest day of my life."

She got a little, faraway smile on her face. This information was surprising. Eska had never thought of her father as capable of doing anything romantic…or as capable of doing anything that involved emotions, for that matter.

"He didn't have to do that. But he did," Mother said. She paused to wipe a tear away. "And he kept me as his wife through multiple miscarriages. When one pregnancy finally did take, it was exceedingly difficult. Then, during the birth, you were lying sideways and nearly cost my life, as well as your own and that of your brother. They had to operate…anyway, the doctors said that another pregnancy would almost certainly kill me."

Was _that_ why Mother had hated her so much? Had she merely been using her anger at Eska's difficulties as a cover-up for the truth? It made Eska wonder how much of Mother's outrage at Kinalik's birth had actually been that, and how much may have been bitterness that Eska had had a much easier time of it than she had.

Mother, however, was not quite finished talking.

"Your father stood with me through all of that. Even when it was deemed no longer safe for him to share my bed, to the best of my knowledge he was never unfaithful. And if he was, he was extraordinarily discreet about it. All I wanted was for you to find similar happiness, but you appeared to take delight in thwarting my efforts."

Now she appeared to be finished.

"And how do you want me to respond?" Eska demanded. "Were you anticipating that these revelations would make me instantly forgive any and every wrong you have done to me? I will do no such thing. In the end, you will simply have to accept that your judgment was erroneous…just as I admitted my own mistakes."

Surprisingly, Mother didn't start screaming at her. Instead, she said, "I confess that I never understood you. You were always so contrary, so mysterious…I never knew what was going on in that head of yours."

"And it never occurred to you to ask?"

"Apparently not."

Eska took that as her cue. They had reached an impasse, but Eska no longer felt angry at Mother. Instead, she simply felt sorry that Mother was content to remain with this narrow worldview.

"I suppose that there is nothing remaining than for us to agree to disagree," she said. "Goodbye, Mother. It may be final this time."

"Goodbye," Mother replied coolly. Then, after Eska had turned around and walked almost all the way back to the door, Mother added something so quietly that Eska had thought she imagined it at first.

"Take care."

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That had gone about as well as could be expected. Now, it was time for the activities to which she was actually looking forward. Before she left, she put on a hood to obscure her face; the people here would likely not attempt to take pictures of her, but she felt more comfortable going incognito regardless.

Eska exited the palace and used her bending to propel herself over the ice towards one of the surrounding villages. Once she got there, she first made a stop at a craft store to buy certain supplies. After making certain that these purchases were tucked securely into her bag, she set off for a small house in the village's outskirts. She'd never actually been here before herself; only Desna had. She hoped that she had recalled his directions correctly.

Her knock on the door was answered almost immediately, and she was relieved to see that she had indeed found the right house. However, the relief turned to puzzlement as her old friend Akna paled at the sight of her.

" _Again_?" the older woman yelped.

"It is only me," Eska informed her. She realized belatedly that she had not taken her hood down, and quickly corrected this.

"Oh. Right. Come on in."

Eska entered the house. Naturally, it was quite small, although it appeared to be well-insulated from the cold. She awkwardly perched on an old armchair while Akna took the other.

"Sorry I didn't recognize you there," Akna said. "Your brother has done that to me so many times that you'd think I would have learned by now! Come to think of it, where _is_ your brother?"

It appeared that Eska had another long story to tell the old midwife, and tell it she did.

"Well, that sounds like enough adventure to last a lifetime!" Akna exclaimed. "I was worried about you two when they announced your abdication. But you certainly seem to have gotten back on your feet just fine. You actually look happy now!"

"…I do?" Eska asked. As far as she knew, her happy face looked no different from her regular one.

Akna nodded. "To be sure, you're never one to grin ear-to-ear and jump around the room, but I can tell."

"I see." Eska paused. She had not only come here to update her friend on her status.

"I wanted to request your assistance," she said. "As I mentioned previously, my girlfriend is pregnant. I would like to learn how to utilize my waterbending during the remainder of the pregnancy and the birth. I am mainly interested in amelioration of pain, although if you have knowledge of other applications, I should like to learn those too. Oh, and you will be compensated for your time, of course."

Akna replied, "Sounds good to me. Did you want to learn everything at once or spread it out a bit?"

"I cannot be separated from my daughter for too long, so my intent is to spread it out into increments over the next several months."

"All right then. How about we start on some basic massage and acupressure techniques? Now, the first thing you need to know is where all the qi points are…"

\---------------------------------------------------------------------------

Three days later, as Eska got off the boat back to Republic City, she was almost immediately tackled by Bolin.

"GuesswhatguesswhatGUESSWHAAAATTT?" he shouted.

"I cannot guess what. I would, however, prefer it if you would relate it to me in a vocal amplitude that is more modulated," she said.

"Uh…that means I should be quieter, right?"

"Correct."

"Sorry." He backed off a few inches. "Anyway, listen to this! I went for my interview and all, and then this morning I found out I _got the job_! I'm going to be the assistant commentator who says all the funny things. And Shiro said that I can say just about anything I want as long as it's family-friendly and related to the game in some way! _And_ they'll help me with the reading stuff!"

"That is an admirable achievement," Eska responded. "When is your first day in this new occupation?"

"Tomorrow evening. It's a game that everyone's been looking forward to since they released the schedules. And I already got tickets for you and Opal in the good seats! Opal told me to get ones by the aisle in case it gets too loud and you have to leave early."

It appeared that this Shiro had great confidence in Bolin's abilities, allowing him to make his debut announcing such an important game. This would be the first time that Eska would attend a probending game, and seemed like it was going to be an experience unlike any other. And Opal, as usual, was thinking of the details that no one else did. Speaking of which…where was she?

When she asked, Bolin said, "She's…having a really rough day today, and we're all pretty bummed out because she was doing so much better lately. She's thrown up three times that I know of, and can't really keep anything down. Korra and Asami are threatening to take her to the hospital, which she _does not_ want. She's just worried about missing the game."

"I may actually be of assistance in this area," Eska stated. She told him about her lessons with Akna.

"Wow, that's really cool!" Bolin replied. "How about we try that as soon as we get back…"

The remainder of his sentence was cut off by the now-familiar noise of cameras clicking. At least they were a greater distance away from them this time. When she mentioned this to Bolin, he said, "Yeah, I think Asami might have said some things to some people. And you know what else she did? She hired people to take care of our mail so we don't have to read the hate letters anymore!"

"That is wonderful news for us and terrible news for your pet," Eska remarked drily.

"Yeah. I guess it kind of is. So whaddaya think? Wanna do a couple of poses for them before we go back?"

Eska didn't see why not, so they did this for several minutes, until she had to drag Bolin away due to him getting a bit too involved in it.

Once the taxi dropped them off at Asami's house, they went directly up to the bedroom where Opal was resting. The airbender managed to smile and whisper, "Welcome back, Eska." Then she was hit with a wave of sickness and groaned.

"I have learned a technique that may alleviate your discomfort," Eska announced. After wetting her hands in the bathroom sink, she sat on the bed next to Opal, pressed her thumb into Opal's wrist, and focused all her healing energies on that one spot. After a couple of minutes, she released the pressure, and noted that Opal's color had improved slightly.

"Have you achieved any relief?" she inquired.

"I think so. It's still there, but kind of more in the background now," Opal said. "You learned that on your trip?"

"Yes. It is called acupressure."

"Wow. I mean, I know a bit about that because we have an acupuncturist in Zaofu, who used to do the pressure for me because I hate needles. But I've never heard of it being used with waterbending before!"

Once Eska worked on the other wrist, Opal said that she thought she might actually be up to drinking something. Bolin and Eska remained with her while she sipped at a cup of broth. As Opal was able to finish most of it, Eska informed Korra and Asami that the crisis appeared to have passed. Then she went to greet Kinalik and inspect the many pictures that her daughter had drawn in school during Eska's absence.

\---------------------------------------------------------------------------

Opal had some residual nausea the next day, but with Eska's treatments a hospital visit was avoided. She did, however, see her doctor in the morning just in case. After another treatment session, she was even able to eat a small meal for lunch.

That afternoon, before they set off for the game, Eska summoned Bolin and Opal to her bedroom. She had a gift for them that she had been working on in the North during her free time, and had completed the final touches on the items that morning. Although she was nervous about how they would react, this was the best way she could think of to express her feelings.

As the pair situated themselves, Eska took a cloth bag from her drawer and emptied the contents onto the bed. Opal let out a gasp, while Bolin asked, "Is…this what I think it is?"

"If you were thinking that these are betrothal necklaces, then it is what you think it is," Eska replied. When they didn't answer immediately, she went on, "I thought I would attempt this again to see whether it would proceed more smoothly on this occasion. I also made one for myself. And I did not decorate any of them with a skull. And I made Bolin's extra-large. And it does not mean we have to get married right away. And…"

"It's okay! You don't have to be nervous! Really," Opal interjected as she took Eska's hand.

"Does that mean that they meet your approval?" Eska asked. She had been desperately hoping that they would.

"Of course they do! They're beautiful!" Opal assured her. She gave Eska a kiss on her forehead, and Bolin gave her one on her cheek.

"I have an idea," Bolin said. "How about we all wear these to the probending arena?"

"I don't know," Opal replied. "Everyone's eyes are going to be on us to begin with, and…" she trailed off as she saw Bolin's face fall, and sighed. "All right, then."

Although Eska tried to maintain her usual demeanor, her slightly trembling fingers gave her away as she fastened first Bolin's, then Opal's necklaces. After that, both of them fastened her own necklace.

She touched it and commented, "It is an odd sensation, but I believe that I will become accustomed to it. Do yours fit properly?"

"Yeah, mine's great. A lot less tight this time," Bolin said. "How about yours, Opal?" Opal nodded in agreement.

"We should get going," she stated. "We're supposed to get there early so Bolin can get set up."

After emerging from the room and showing off their necklaces to Korra, Asami, and Kinalik, all of them piled into the Satomobile and set off for the probending arena. Mako would also be attending the match, although he would make the trip in his own car. Kinalik was ecstatic that she got to go inside the "shiny building."

In the lobby, they encountered none other than Tahno, who had been signing autographs. He noticed the necklaces and looked surprised at first, but recovered his equilibrium quickly, grinned, and saluted at them.

Korra and Asami met up with Mako and went to their seats. Before going to their own, Opal, Eska, and Kinalik stopped at the announcer's booth to see Bolin's new environs. Eska thought that the chairs looked reasonably comfortable, although the air was quite warm in this enclosed space. There were two microphones with wires everywhere to accommodate the simultaneous broadcast to the audience and the radio; Eska had to prevent Kinalik from touching them. Each seat also had a stack of cue cards organized by subject. Eska noted that Bolin's set had extra-large print and simpler characters.

"Is this arrangement to your liking?" Eska asked him. Pabu, whom Bolin had insisted on bringing, jumped from Bolin's shoulders to the table.

"It sure is! Although now I'm glad that I took Shiro's advice and dressed lightly. No suit this time!"

"Finally," said Opal, albeit smiling.

"We should depart and find our seats before it gets too crowded," Eska opined.

"Yeah. Good idea. Shiro's gonna be hear any minute to go over some final things. Wow, I can't believe I'm actually doing this!"

Both women gave him good-luck kisses and left. After locating their seats, they sat and watched the crowd file in and the players come out to the court for warmups. Finally, all seats had been filled, and the teams were in their positions. Eska heard a crackle as the sound system was activated.

The main announcer said what appeared to be some usual words of welcome, through which Eska tapped her foot impatiently. Then, after what seemed like an eternity, "Hey, guys, it's Bolin, and I'm your new color commentator! Welcome to the White Fall Wolfbats versus the Black Quarry Boar-q-Pines! Are you ready for some probending?!"

Everyone cheered; Eska was glad that she had already secured earmuffs over Kinalik's ears and inserted earplugs into her own. The sound was amplified enough that she could still hear Bolin perfectly well.

Once the cheers died down enough for him to be audible again, Bolin added, "Say hi, Pabu!" Pabu obediently chattered into the microphone, and this time the audience let out an "Awww…"

And thus the game began. Eska could not make much sense of what was going on, but she decided it didn't matter. She had her daughter on one side of her and her betrothed on the other side; she thought that Opal might be starting to get the very beginnings of a bump. Meanwhile, her _other_ betrothed was doing an adequate job with the commentary; he was slightly awkward at times, this being his first attempt at it, but always amusing. Kinalik was out of harm's way and becoming more confident by the day, Desna was presumably content in Zaofu, and now Eska was finally going to get her wedding, with all participants consenting.

Akna had been correct. She was happy.

THE END

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow, this is a pretty emotional moment for me. I can't believe I finally completed a novel-length story! (The first Harry Potter book was 74k words IIRC.) And I'm going to mark it as complete even though I have some epilogue chapters planned, since I hope that this reads like a satisfying story in its own right. After all the trauma I put Bolin and Eska through in my various stories, I really wanted to give them a happy ending and some closure!


	20. Epilogue Part 1

**2 1/2 MONTHS LATER**

In the end, the three of them had decided to hold the wedding as soon as possible. Although they had considered putting it off until after Opal gave birth, they had realized that this would likely entail a wait of multiple years, until the baby was old enough to be cared by others for an extended time while they were on their honeymoon. Also, Opal voiced a desire to be able to combine said honeymoon with a "babymoon" before she got too large to properly enjoy it.

Technically, though, this was not a wedding but a "commitment ceremony". This ceremony was not legally binding, since bigamy was against the law and it wouldn't be fair to the third person if two of them got legally married to each other. However, they had certainly spent enough on it that it would be a wedding in all but name.

Finally, the big day was here, and the occupants of the Sato house were making their last preparations. However, Eska had quite literally run into a snag.

" _Ow_! Stop it, Mama!" Kinalik whined. Her eyes watered as she tried unsuccessfully to jerk her head away from Eska's iron grip.

"I am attempting to detangle your hair," Eska explained as she worked the comb through a particularly annoying knot. "You want to look nice for all the people, do you not? Messy hair is not complementary to that pretty new dress of yours."

As soon as the words were out of her mouth, she regretted them. Kinalik was very much looking forward to wearing said dress, and Eska knew it. The child hung her head in shame.

"I apologize for my short temper. How about I give you a reprieve for a few minutes?" she suggested. She put down the brush and comb and sat on the chair that accompanied the vanity, drawing her daughter into her lap.

"Would you like to hear a secret?" she asked. "I also strongly disliked having my hair attended to when I was your age. The pulling, having someone be in such close proximity to me, the sound, even the smell…all terrible. And I believe that it is even more difficult for you to endure, since you inherited your father's hair." She ran her fingers through the unruly cloud, carefully avoiding the one bad tangle.

"Does Bolin have knots in his hair too?" Kinalik inquired. After seeing other students at her school with their fathers, she had been quick to put two and two together, although she still insisted on calling him by his first name. For his part, Bolin did little to discourage her. They would have to work on that once the new school term started.

As for the subject of his hair…Eska admitted, "I have never styled it myself, so I do not know. Perhaps Mama Opal would have more information."

"Oh."

After they sat together for a while longer, Eska said, "I must conclude my work on your hair now. If you hold still, I will allow you to wear some of my best perfume."

This proved to be enough enticement to improve Kinalik's behavior. Finally, her hair, while not as smooth as Eska would have liked, was tangle-free. Eska helped her get dressed in the crisp white dress with the sash that matched the child's eyes, and dabbed on some scent as promised.

As she watched her daughter run back and forth across the room in her excitement, she examined herself in the mirror; Asami had assisted her with her own outfit earlier. Eska had very much wanted to wear traditional Northern Water Tribe garb, yet had conceded that the late summer weather was not conducive to wearing those heavy fabrics and furs. Therefore, she'd had to settle for a lighter robe which had some of the traditional design elements worked in. However, she was wearing the hairpiece from her first attempt at a wedding, which had somehow survived the years.

Once Kinalik had burned some energy off, Eska assisted her with the delicate slippers that matched the dress, and placed the sturdiest headband that she had been able to locate onto Kinalik's head (even so, she didn't hold out much hope for it staying in place for the entire event). She was putting a final touch on her own mascara when she heard a gentle rapping at the door. (And it was fortunate that her partners had learned to do it quietly; otherwise her cornea may have gotten scratched by the brush.)

"Are you almost ready?" Opal asked.

"We are," Eska confirmed as she moved on to the other eye. She finished that up as quickly as possible, and opened the door.

"I apologize for that," she stated. "Kinalik's hair caused an unanticipated delay."

"It's okay. We still have a bit of time," Opal answered. Eska's breath caught in her throat as she examined her wife-to-be. Unlike her, Opal had chosen to wear one of the newly fashionable white gowns. Her face was so aglow with the effects of pregnancy that it scarcely needed any cosmetic enhancement. And Eska liked that instead of attempting to obscure her bump as some expecting brides would do, Opal had opted for a form-fitting bodice to show it off. For a fleeting moment, Eska toyed with the idea of dragging Opal into her bedroom so that they could have a pre-wedding tryst, but almost immediately dismissed this as highly impractical.

Opal raised an eyebrow at Eska's prolonged silence. "Is something wrong?"

"No. I was merely contemplating your more-than-adequate degree of physical attractiveness."

"Oh…well, thanks! You look great too. I was actually worried that no one would be able to see anything other than this huge pimple on my forehead. I tried my best to cover it with my hair…do you think that's enough?"

"I had not noticed it," Eska replied honestly.

"Whew! That's a relief. Well, then, I guess we should get going, shouldn't we? I think Bolin's already outside; Mako's keeping an eye on him so he doesn't try to sneak some of the food for the reception from the kitchen."

"Did Bolin have knots in his hair?" Kinalik piped up as they walked down the hall to the stairs.

"Definitely," Opal told her. "He accidentally broke a couple of teeth off his comb this afternoon."

"You see?" Eska said. "You are not the only one who had these issues. What is more, the teeth on _your_ comb remained intact."

Kinalik beamed.

\---------------------------------------------------------------------------

The ceremony was held in Asami's backyard, in the evening so the weather would be cooler. It was comprised of four parts: First all three pairings exchanged vows individually, then all three of them came together and did another set. Their rings were comprised of two thin bands of metal that locked together, to demonstrate that each of them was in fact married to two people.

Eska had felt full of nerves as she first set foot in the backyard; the organ that pumped her blood was certainly doing so robustly. She worried that Bolin and Opal would decide at the last minute that they did not wish to wed her after all. However, her anxiety had been mitigated somewhat by the reassuring smiles of her partners, as well as catching a glimpse of Desna in the crowd.

As soon as the ceremony was completed, and many photographs had been taken, she sought out her brother. He was now attired in a blue version of the Zaofu uniform, which he reported that he had sewn himself, and it appeared that things were going well for him. However, she could not talk with him forever; she had an obligation to her spouses as well.

Eska let them do most of the talking as they made their rounds greeting the guests, the majority of whom were Bolin and Mako's relatives. Not surprisingly, much of the talk focused on the forthcoming baby. She did not mind this for the most part. After all, she was as fascinated by Opal's pregnancy as she had been by her own. Although the child had no biological relation to her, she would assist in its care just as Opal helped with Kinalik.

However, it wasn't long before all of them were weary of people asking the same questions over and over again. Some of the most frequent ones included, "How far along are you?" (Almost five months), "Have you felt it kick yet?" (Yes, last week), and "Are you hoping for a boy or a girl?" (The official answer was that they had no preference, although after about the twentieth time Eska started responding to that question by just saying "Yes." Bolin had extreme difficulty keeping a straight face.)

What was more, most of the guests tended to leave Eska out of the conversation entirely, despite her spouses' increasingly emphatic attempts to include her. Obviously, these people saw Bolin and Opal's relationship as the "real" one.

"Don't pay attention to them," Bolin told her when the three of them retreated into an isolated corner to regroup. "They're just jerks."

Eska insisted, "They are of no significance to me," but she couldn't meet their eyes while saying this.

"This is hard for all of us," Opal chimed in. "But it's just the one night. Tomorrow, we're going to Ember Island, and we get to have three whole weeks of doing whatever we want!"

"How about we take a food break before it all runs out?" Bolin suggested. "It's bad manners to talk to people when we have our mouths full, so we'll have an excuse not to!"

Things started improving after that. The food was buffet-style, and had been carefully selected to appeal to even the pickiest of eaters. They had made sure that there would be plenty of Eska's favored pork buns. Once they had eaten their fill, they encountered Grandma Yin. Eska hadn't seen her in two months, when they had gone out to dinner to celebrate Kinalik's earthbending and the betrothal _and_ Opal's pregnancy.

Yin started the conversation with, "Forgive me. I know you told me already, but I forgot. How far along are you, Opal?"

Eska decided that she would give the old lady a little slack due to her extreme age.

Once she had been reinformed, Yin went on, "Both of you ladies are so beautiful tonight! You know, when I got married, I couldn't afford a special wedding outfit. I had to make do with my best dress instead. "

"Bolin very nearly wore his usual suit," Eska remarked. "However, Opal finally convinced him to buy a new one." This had taken some slight emotional manipulation on Opal's part; a few tears may have been involved.

"Well, of course, he looks wonderful too!" Yin replied. "And I just saw Kinalik dancing with Mako; she's come out of her shell so much since I first met her."

They spent some time discussing Kinalik's progress in school and the trio's honeymoon plans. Opal also shared the exciting news that they had finally found a house that they thought would suit their needs. It was more of an upper middle-class dwelling than a true mansion like Asami's, but it had plenty of room for however many children they decided to have. They were hoping to close on it shortly after returning from the honeymoon.

Eska got along well with Yin. As her father's mother had died before Eska and Desna's birth, and her mother's mother almost never came to court, she had no memory of having a grandmother who actually did grandmotherly things. Yin seemed to genuinely enjoy Eska's company too; the royalty aspect certainly played a part, but they had discovered a shared interest in the Fire Nation royal family. Eventually, Bolin and Opal had to leave to talk to Suyin, but Eska and Yin remained absorbed in a discussion of the recent wedding between Prince Iroh and Lady Emi, who was Princess Azula's oldest granddaughter. They were still talking by the time Bolin returned with a sleepy Kinalik in his arms.

"I think it's maybe time we all go to bed," Bolin whispered. And it was late. She asked Bolin the time, and he told her that it was close to midnight. Now that she was thinking about it, Eska felt exhausted.

"Oh my. I suppose it's time for me to be getting home too!" Yin stated.

"See you when we get back! We'll get you a _bunch_ of souvenirs," Bolin promised.

The crowd did their share of whooping when they were told of the newlyweds' departure. No doubt they were imagining all sorts of salacious bedroom activities, but the reality was that all they did was put Kinalik to bed and then crash in their own rooms, falling asleep within minutes. Oh well.

\---------------------------------------------------------------------------

They more than made up for their lack of wedding night activity once they got to Ember Island, however. Opal in particular was all but insatiable due to the changes occurring in her body, and Bolin and Eska were happy to oblige her. It was their goal to experiment with any combination of positions that they could think up, and they kept detailed notes about what worked the best for future reference. Eska believed that they spent enough on lube, condoms, and other adult accessories to keep those industries in business for several more years, even if no one else bought anything during those years.

That was not to say that they spent all their vacation in bed (and in various chairs, and against the wall, and one time even on their rented house's fenced-in rooftop deck when they were feeling adventuresome). They passed plenty of time at the beach as well. This was Eska's first experience with a beach that had water warm enough to swim in, and she was enthralled. Naturally, she spent long stretches swimming and wading in the ocean, but she was also fascinated by the small yet colorful mollusks that lived just beneath the surface of the damp sand near the waterline. She could spend hours sitting there digging those creatures up with the surf crashing around her. Sometimes Bolin and/or Opal joined her, and they would hold contests to see who could dig up the most, the largest, or the prettiest ones.

Every evening, they either ate at or got takeout from a different restaurant. Eska had quite a shocking experience at their first dinner. The boat had taken all day to reach Ember Island, and they were so hungry that they only stopped at their house long enough to drop off their things before they headed off to the establishment closest to them. Due to her hunger and fatigue, Eska had forgotten a crucial fact: that people in the Fire Nation put obscene amounts of heat into their foods. She was certain that the fish stew she had ordered would have tasted delicious; unfortunately, her tastebuds were too obliterated to detect any flavors. Bolin and Opal politely refrained from teasing her as she gasped and sputtered. After that, she was careful to specify all of her orders as mild.

Three days into their vacation, Eska turned twenty-one. They celebrated by going to the most expensive restaurant on the island, where they happened to encounter Prince Iroh and his bride on their honeymoon. They pushed their two tables together and had a pleasant chat. The new Crown Princess Emi was in her mid-twenties, and was introverted, bookish, and somewhat plain-looking. Eska decided she liked her, and hoped that they would meet again someday.

Later in the evening, the trio visited an upscale bar, complete with dance floor. Bolin and Eska underestimated the amount of alcohol in their beverages due to the sweetness of the tropical fruit juices within, so they both had several and got rather drunk. The two of them ended up showing off some less-than-stellar dance moves, while Opal sipped on her nonalcoholic beverages and cracked up at them (she would later admit that her mother had been right about the incontinence pads). The next morning, Bolin had an awful headache, while Eska learned how to vomit in the ocean. Neither of them touched alcohol again for the remainder of the trip.

However, this was a minor setback. There were so many things to do on this island–hunting for seashells, crabbing, nature hikes, sports on the beach, fishing boat excursions (no cheating by using waterbending allowed), wildlife viewing, mocking various plays at the theater–that the three weeks flew by.

On their last day of vacation, there was an exquisite sunset; even better than the one at Zaofu. The three of them hurriedly threw some light clothes on and went outside to watch it.

"Well," Eska stated as she slipped her hand into Opal's, "Tomorrow we shall return to being adults. And we will no longer be able to copulate like lagomorphs."

"It won't be so bad," Bolin told her. "We have the new house to look forward to, plus Ki's fourth birthday next week, and of course _this_." He patted Opal's belly. Suddenly, his facial expression changed from content to surprised.

"Uh. I think I just felt it kick for the first time," he said. Much excitement followed.

\---------------------------------------------------------------------------

Kinalik had done well during their absence. She had stayed with Korra and Asami, although she also had an overnight visit with Grandma Yin, which by all reports both of them had enjoyed. She was anticipating her upcoming birthday as well, due to getting two parties: one at school and one at home.

She had "written" a book of scribbles, which she proudly presented to Eska upon the latter's return. Kinalik informed her that the work was entitled "Li the Badger Mole and his Pneumatic Drill." Korra told them that the child had spent a lot of time hanging around Asami's workshop and learning about various tools, always carefully supervised. If the book contained an explanation as to why a badger mole would need a drill, Eska was unable to decipher it.

Now, all that was left for them to do was to await the Winter Solstice.


	21. Epilogue Part 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Whew! I was planning on the epilogue chapters being relatively short, but this one has a word count of exactly 7500! (Although I have had to go back and make some minor edits.) It also happens to be the longest chapter in this fic, as well as the second-longest one that I've written ever. (In case anyone was curious, the longest is the final chapter of one of my old Yugioh GX stories that I haven't yet posted to AO3.) So...um...enjoy! I'm planning to post the last, much shorter, chapter at the same time as the notes section.
> 
> WARNING: Minor mentions of blood.

As planned, they returned to Zaofu about a month before the baby was due, so that Opal could give birth in familiar surroundings. They would continue to stay there for several weeks after the birth, or until the baby was old enough to travel; possibly even longer depending on the weather. Due to the length of this trip, Kinalik accompanied them.

Shortly after her fourth birthday, Eska's daughter had finally asked why Mama Opal was getting so "fat." After a quick conference, the three of them had decided to keep it simple and tell her that her new brother or sister was growing in there, only providing additional information when it was asked for. However, Kinalik seemed content with this abridged explanation. She spent most of their first day back in Zaofu running around the house telling every person she could find about the baby in Opal's "tummy." They all graciously pretended that they didn't already know.

While Kinalik was thus occupied, Eska caught up with Desna, who had informed her first thing that he was now using third-person plural pronouns to reflect _their_ non-binary gender identity.

"And how has married life been treating you?" they asked.

"Matters are satisfactory," Eska replied. "We have moved into our new residence, and I have painted my new bedroom purple. Kinalik was initially scared of the sink in one of the bathrooms for unknown reasons, but appears to be conquering this fear. Bolin continues at his job as a commentator, and is making progress in his classes. Opal has been kept occupied by her checkups and prenatal classes. I have taken on a part-time volunteer position at the Republic City Library to pass the time." This last thing had actually been Opal's idea; Eska wondered why she hadn't thought of it herself. In any case, she found the quiet rooms, the slightly dusty and papery smell that permeated the building, and her job of organizing the books to be soothing.

"You mentioned lessons with Akna at the wedding. How did those proceed?" Desna asked.

"I believe they went rather well," Eska replied. She had made a total of five trips up North, and had learned a variety of massage techniques and which pressure points alleviated which ailments. In addition, she had been taught some water-sensing techniques. By focusing on which of the contents of Opal's womb were not liquid, she was able to work backward and evaluate the unborn child in that way. Naturally, the healing waterbenders employed by Republic City Hospital's obstetrics unit had the proper licenses and were much better at it than she was, so it was mainly for fun when she did it. However, she was fairly confident that she had figured out the baby's sex, although Bolin and Opal begged her not to tell them since they wanted it to be a surprise.

"I have been working on improving my photography skills," Desna was saying. "My current project is to photograph all of Huan's art pieces in case something ever happens to the physical objects, and then catalog the pictures. We have also been attending his group therapy sessions together, which I feel are efficacious."

"And Huan has been reciprocating your efforts?" Eska pressed. If it was all give and no take, it wouldn't be a healthy relationship. She knew this from personal experience.

Desna paused before they replied, "He has. He recently got his first paying job at a museum; I believe that it is similar to what you do at the library. We have a goal of purchasing a house ourselves, once we have accumulated some savings."

"I meant no offense," Eska assured them. "I admit that sometimes I wonder if I am doing enough for Opal and Bolin. What if…what if I lose my temper with their baby, as I did with Kinalik?" It was among her darkest fears; one that she only felt comfortable discussing with Desna. "I continuously imagine myself getting an uncontrollable urge to drop the baby, or shake it."

"Those sound like what are called intrusive thoughts," Desna said. "We have discussed them at Huan's group. Many people have them; it does not mean that one is destined to act on them. In any case, I believe that the circumstances are different on this occasion. Your physical illness may well have contributed to your mental one at the time of Kinalik's infancy. What is more, you survived it and were ultimately able to successfully raise a child. I am certain that they will find your expertise comforting, whether you did, or do, everything perfectly or not."

They always seemed to know exactly what to say to calm her.

"I hope so," she answered. The anxiety was still there, so she decided to distract herself. "May I hear more information about your photography?"

Eska and her sibling ended up talking well into the evening, pausing only for dinner.

\---------------------------------------------------------------------------

Winters in Zaofu could be brutal due to its location in a mountain valley. There was already a light covering of snow on the ground when they arrived, despite it being a month before the solstice. Over the next few weeks, two additional snowfalls occurred, each dropping several inches. Suyin had told them that later in the winter, blizzards depositing five feet or more in twenty-four hours were not unheard of in this area.

Although others might be unhappy about the cold and snow, Eska and Kinalik loved it. Kinalik in particular was enthralled; in the Northern Water Tribe, the air was always too dry to produce much accumulation. The two of them, plus Bolin, happily spent the days sledding and creating assorted figurines out of the snow. Opal joined them when she could. Unfortunately, she was at the stage of her pregnancy where even the act of existing seemed frustratingly difficult at times, and her excursions outside were limited. She was every bit as large as Eska had been; maybe even more so.

"Big babies run in the family," Suyin had said during dinner the day they arrived. "None of you first three were under nine pounds."

"It feels more like fifty," Opal grumbled as she stabbed at an errant water chestnut.

"Prince Kazuo of the Fire Nation weighed nine pounds and fourteen ounces," Eska offered. No one said anything in reply. Perhaps this comment was not as relevant as she thought it had been.

To raise her daughter's spirits, Suyin threw a surprise baby shower about two weeks after their arrival. This event was strictly women-only, no matter how much Bolin pleaded. Eska had only been informed about it the night before; thankfully, she had already spent the past few months hemming as many diapers as she could. Although she had originally been planning to present them to Opal after the birth, she decided that this would do as well.

This "baby shower" was supposed to be a harmless presentation of gifts, but it appeared to Eska to in fact be a contest of sorts. A large group of Suyin and Opal's female friends, outwardly genial but scheming and calculating on the inside, sat around nibbling on cakes and attempting to outdo each other with their presents. The winner was the woman whose present caused the crowd to emit the most and loudest eardrum-perforating squeals about how cute the item was. This winner got no prize except bragging rights. But like a good wife, Eska sat next to Opal the entire time and did not complain once. She saved her commentary for later, as she was doing Opal's nightly massage.

"I guess it kind of was like a contest," Opal said while giggling at the idea. "You have to admit, though, those outfits were cute. Can you move a bit lower? I have a really sore spot right…there. Ohh, that feels better. Thank you."

"Cute, perhaps, but often highly impractical," Eska pointed out as she moved her hands to the bowl of water to re-wet them. "The outfit that garnered the loudest squeals, with the exorbitant amounts of embroidery? That is not likely to feel pleasant on a newborn's sensitive skin."

"Well…"–Opal paused and sighed; Eska wondered if she'd gone too far with her snide remarks–"We don't _have_ to use them all regularly. Maybe we could just put them on the baby for a few minutes, so we can take a photo to include in our thank-you notes."

"Did you enjoy the event itself?" Eska inquired. She didn't mind if they had differing opinions; her main concern was making sure that the surprise had been a welcome one, and that Opal hadn't done something she didn't really want to do simply to appease her mother.

"For the most part, yes. It distracted me from thinking about how uncomfortable I am for almost the whole afternoon. And I think I'm the only mom in the world who can put her baby in diapers that were hemmed by a princess."

"You do not care that the stitchwork is irregular?" Eska inquired as she moved on to Opal's feet.

"Of course not! And in any case, no one's going to be looking at the stitchwork."

"Mother would," Eska mumbled. However, she did not want to dwell on that train of thought. Instead, she commented, "I believe that you are also the only woman in the world who is getting her feet rubbed by a princess. Do not expect me to lick them."

Before Opal could reply, a knock came on the door.

"I'm not interrupting anything, am I?" Bolin asked.

"You aren't. Come on in," Opal replied.

He did as she asked and took a running leap onto the other side of the bed. The remainder of Eska's healing water sloshed out of the bowl onto the blankets. Judging how Opal made a little yelp and dashed off to the bathroom, something similar must have occurred with the contents of her compressed bladder. Eska felt herself frowning a bit as she looked over at Bolin, but it was of little importance; she had been nearly finished anyway.

"So how did the party go?" Bolin inquired in a rush. "I want details. _All_ the details."

"There is not much to tell. We had cakes and buns and tea. Many gifts were opened. There was much vocalization of high-pitched noises during the opening of said gifts." Perhaps Bolin should have gone along instead of her. It was highly unlikely that any of those women would have been able to best him in the area of high-pitched noise making.

"Yeah, I think I heard some of those once when I was passing by. Ki and I were trying to make a snow tower. We actually got it up to almost my chin before it fell over. She got pretty tired out, so Suyin and I put her to bed early. Pabu's sleeping with her."

The toilet flushed, the sink ran briefly, and Opal opened the door and walked back into the bedroom.

"Feeling better?" Bolin asked.

"For the moment, at least," Opal said. She sat heavily on the bed with a sigh. "I wish that someone would invent a bed that has a toilet built into it."

Bolin continued to stare at her.

"What? Is it that weird of an idea?"

"No no no. It's not that. It's just…you look so sexy right now."

Opal gave a surprised laugh. "Either you have a very odd definition of 'sexy,' or you need to get your eyes checked."

"No, really," Bolin insisted as he scooted across the bed to kneel behind her. "Why would you think that? You have my baby in there." He reached an arm around and rubbed Opal's stomach. "Anyone who doesn't think that's the hottest thing ever needs to get _their_ eyes checked."

He began kissing Opal's neck, and she closed her eyes and leaned into it. Eska strongly suspected that they desired some time alone together, especially after Bolin had been left out of the festivities today. She turned and left them to it, and this time felt no shame when she pleasured herself after returning to her own room.

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"Eska?"

"Hng."

"Are you awake?"

"I am now." Eska sat up and turned on the bedside lamp. "What is it?"

"I think I'm feeling contractions."

Over the last several days, Opal had taken to sleeping with Eska instead of with Bolin as she normally did. This was partly because Eska took up less room on the bed, but mostly in case of a scenario like this one. No one thought that Bolin would be of much help here, least of all Bolin himself.

Eska squinted at the clock. It was slightly past 5 AM. She turned to face Opal now that her eyes had adjusted to the light, and inquired, "How many?"

"Three."

"And how far apart?"

"About twenty minutes."

They had already had one false alarm; four days ago, Opal had felt some pains during dinner, but they had gotten weaker instead of stronger over time, and had ended entirely several hours later. It was best to take things cautiously.

"We will lie here and time them," Eska decided. And so they did. About fifteen minutes later, Opal made a little gasp.

"I'm having another one," she said. She seemed oddly subdued for someone who had so highly anticipated this, and admitted to being "a little nervous" once the contraction had let up and Eska had asked about it.

"You have broader hips than I do, and I survived the ordeal," Eska pointed out. "Therefore, it is highly unlikely that you will die horribly in a pool of your own blood." She patted Opal's hand.

"Uh…thanks," Opal replied. Yet she remained mostly quiet except to note the onset of another pain.

Was she worried about being unprepared? She need not be. A cradle, changing table, and rocking chair had been moved into Opal and Bolin's room, and they had fully furnished the baby's room in Republic City before they left. Opal had attended all of her birthing classes, and Eska, Bolin, or both had accompanied her every time. They even had names picked out: San, after Bolin's deceased father, for a boy, and Suyin for a girl.

Or was it her age that was concerning her? It was true that she had been one of the youngest women in her classes, but she still had five and a half years on Eska when she'd had Kinalik. Whatever the case, she opted not to pry.

By mid-morning, when most of the household was awake, it was seeming more and more like the real thing. Although the contractions were still relatively weak, they had started getting closer together; they were now consistently ten minutes apart.

"Would you like me to inform Bolin now?" Eska asked. Opal, still out of breath, nodded. Eska left the room, located Bolin at the breakfast table, and whispered the news into his ear. He shot out of his chair before she was even done talking.

"How long has it been? You know, since it started?" he asked as they hurried back to the bedroom.

"I believe that it has been approximately four and a half hours," Eska replied.

"Oh. Is that a lot?"

"She is still in the early stages. My labor took fourteen hours."

They opened the door only to find Opal dragging a suitcase out of the closet. She had also made the bed in the short time that Eska had been gone.

"Whoa, let me help with that!" Bolin exclaimed as he grabbed the other end of the suitcase. Opal seemed like she was about to object, but had to quickly sit down on the bed as a contraction overtook her.

"You will not require an entire suitcase," Eska reminded her. "Your stay at this 'birthing center' will only encompass a day or two." Although she had never heard of such a place until recent weeks, Suyin swore by it, and told them that it was more like a luxury hotel than anything else.

Opal admitted, "You're probably right. I just…wanted to make sure that there was enough room for everything."

Her hands were shaking slightly, and they each grabbed one.

"Hey now, what's going on?" Bolin asked. At Eska's askance look, he added, "Besides the obvious?"

"What if we rushed into this too soon? I've been looking forward to this day for so long, but now that it's here, I'm not sure how to feel…" She broke off and looked as if she were about to cry.

Eska was still thinking of what to say when there was a knock on the door.

"May I come in?" Suyin asked. It took every single ounce of Eska's restraint to not roll her eyes. She had to think in terms of what was best for Opal right now, and could not let her annoyance for this intrusion show.

Suyin let herself on in without being invited. She was carrying a bowl with steam rising from it, which she hurriedly set down on the night table as she saw Opal's facial expression.

"Talk to me, honey," she murmured as she knelt at the foot of the bed. Opal began to cry in earnest.

"W-what if I don't know what I'm doing?" she sobbed. Suyin silently directed Bolin and Eska to move to give her room, and sat down next to her daughter.

"I think every first-time mom has these fears," she said. "I certainly did. I was only about a year older than you when I had Junior. And he was an accident; your father and I had only been dating for a few months. We opted to continue the pregnancy after a lot of discussion, but when I was in labor I wondered if I'd made the right choice. As it turns out, everything ended up fine. Well, for the most part. Nobody's expecting you to be perfect."

"I was impregnated at sixteen," Eska added. "What is more, I was not even aware of that fact for nearly the entire first half of the duration. If anyone was ever unprepared, it was me. Nevertheless, Kinalik is alive and well." She echoed what Desna had said, and knew that she had to act as though she hadn't had her own worries about this subject recently.

"I never know what I'm doing in general," Bolin said. "Does that count?" This caused Opal to give a little watery laugh.

Suyin encircled her arms around Opal and said, "There, see? You're not in this alone."

"'Kay," Opal mumbled. She spent the next several minutes leaning on Suyin's shoulder and getting the crying out of her system. Eska felt somewhat like an intruder into their moment together, but she didn't want to upset Opal further by leaving the room either. It appeared from how Bolin kept darting nervous glances around the room that he was having a similar struggle.

Once Opal had calmed down, Suyin handed her a handkerchief and the bowl she'd brought in, and said, "I'm going to give An a call. You two make sure that she eats all that congee by the time I get back." She bustled purposefully out the door.

"Mom knows that I hate this stuff," Opal sighed as she poked at it with her spoon. With great effort, she managed to choke it all down with perfect timing; she swallowed the last bite as they heard Suyin's footsteps coming down the hall.

"An says to come in when the contractions are five minutes apart," she informed them. "In the meantime, Opal, you should keep moving as much as possible."

Eska remembered the interminable walking well. She and Bolin took turns escorting Opal around the house, since it was too cold to stay outside for extended periods of time. Someone must have told Kinalik that the baby was coming; she eagerly followed their every move until Eska clarified that it was not coming right _now_.

Shortly before lunchtime, the five-minute interval was achieved, and the family gathered in the living room to see them off.

"Good luck and all that. I have to go to work now," Huan said. He exchanged a kiss with Desna before slouching out the door.

"Can I come too?" Kinalik asked.

Eska shook her head. "You must remain here."

Her daughter stomped her foot and shouted, " _But I wanna see!_ "

Poor thing. Everyone had been so excited about the pending arrival for so long, it was no wonder that she wanted to witness it. And Eska still had problems being firm with her at times. To her immense relief, Baatar Junior intervened.

"How about we go draw some pictures to welcome the new baby home?" he offered. Kinalik remained less-than-thrilled, but allowed herself to be led off. Eska shot a look of gratitude at the man who had been her boyfriend for such an infinitesimal amount of time. Since Eska's last visit, Baatar's legal restrictions had been relaxed. Now, he could go outside unattended as long as it was within city limits. His mental status appeared to have improved along with that, although he still isolated in his room too often for Opal's liking.

At this moment, however, it was time to focus on Opal. As they stepped outside and headed over to the monorail, Eska draped her own fur-lined coat over her wife's shoulders to protect her from the cold. She could do well enough without it.

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An was a wiry woman in her late fifties, who impressed Eska by not missing a beat as she shook her hand. As part of the perks of being the daughter of the city's founder, Opal would be accompanied by this woman throughout her entire labor and delivery unless one of the other women currently in travail had an emergency.

Eska was pleased to note that their spacious room included a large tub, which was capable of holding multiple people and deep enough to submerge one up to the chest. She knew that this would be helpful for her massages; An had been happy to learn that Eska knew healing techniques. There was also a bed, of course, which could be adjusted by metalbending, a table with a radio and a pile of magazines to pass the time, and chairs and a couch. Several pieces of equipment were present to facilitate various laboring positions. Eska found herself wishing that she could have had this room for Kinalik's birth.

The first several hours passed smoothly. An confirmed that Opal was in active labor, and said that if things continued to proceed in this manner, the baby would be born by suppertime. They discussed the birth plan; Opal wanted things to be as natural and intervention-free as possible. Being an airbender, she had no problems with the breathing exercises and meditation. The walking continued, and sometimes they would pass one of the other expectant couples in the hallway, who all wished them good luck. Opal had particular fun bouncing on a large inflatable "birthing ball" to encourage the descent of the baby's head, and didn't seem to care that she looked supremely undignified while doing so. Every hour or so, she and Eska went to the tub for a massage session.

But suppertime came and went, and there was still no baby. Everyone tried to remain calm and talk in soothing tones, yet the concern in the room was growing palpable. As the night wore on, Opal began to vomit from the pain, and became slightly disoriented at times. None of her usual pain relief strategies were helping for long anymore. Despite this, she continued to stubbornly decline any pharmaceutical help.

"People won't think badly of you if you need a little something to take off the edge, if that's what you're worried about," Suyin said.

" _No drugs_ ," insisted Opal. And that was that.

Eska was unsure what she could say that would be of any comfort, since her own labor had been over at this amount of elapsed time. Bolin obviously felt out of place in this situation, and stood around wringing his hands.

"How about going on the bouncy ball again?" he asked at one point in an attempt to be helpful. "You liked that, right?

Opal currently had her face buried in a pillow, and did not acknowledge him.

"Opie?"

"Would you like to know exactly _where_ I want to stick that ball right now?" Opal growled at him as she briefly lifted her head up.

"Uh…no, not really."

Finally, at midnight, An took action.

"I think you've been stalled for long enough," she said briskly. "I would like to go ahead and break your water manually if it's all right with you. This will likely give you stronger contractions, and will hopefully provide that little extra boost that you need. However, there are increased risks for infection and cord prolapse, so if you don't have any progress after a couple more hours, I'm going to transfer you to the hospital."

"Noooooooo," Opal moaned. Then, to Suyin, "What should I do?"

"That's something you have to decide for yourself," Suyin replied.

"Okay. Okay." Opal squeezed her eyes shut and thought for a couple of minutes. Then she said, "I want to do it."

"Are you sure?" An asked.

"Yeah."

Eska and Bolin helped Opal over to the tub, where the procedure was performed. An pronounced the resulting fluid to be "nice and clear."

"What time is it?" Opal asked.

"It is 12:03," Eska told her.

"Oh." Then, a few minutes later, "What time is it now?"

Eska reported, "It is 12:07."

"Ugh. I thought that at least half an hour had gone by. It feels like…" The rest of her sentence was cut off by a contraction. When it passed, she said, "Someone get me the bucket. I think I'm going to throw up again."

She did, in fact, vomit, although hardly anything was left in her stomach to eject.

"Bolin?" she said as An carried the bucket away.

"Yeah?"

"I'm going to kill you."

Eska remarked, "An understandable sentiment." She recalled feeling much the same way.

"Maybe I should just…leave," Bolin said as he turned towards the door. However, his escape attempt was thwarted by Eska reaching out and grasping his shirt collar between two fingers.

"You are not permitted to vacate the premises no matter how many times she threatens to cause your demise," she informed him sternly.

The promised intense contractions started shortly thereafter. Unlike Eska at Kinalik's birth, Opal was free to shout as loudly and often as she wanted. And since she was an airbender, it was indeed very loud. Bolin looked as if he would burst into tears at the slightest provocation, and even Eska was closer to tears than she would have liked to admit. However, she remained outwardly stoic; she had to be strong enough for all three of them.

Both Bolin and Eska eventually stripped down to their undergarments and joined Opal in the tub to hold her, while Suyin whispered encouragements into her ear. As agonizing as this process was for everyone involved, it did the trick. About an hour and a half later, Opal called out that she needed to push, and An confirmed that it was time.

They relocated to the bed for the delivery at Opal's request. As Eska bent the water off herself and Bolin and they redressed, An prepared the bed. With a flick of her fingers, the top portion stood up at an angle, and the bottom part dropped downward and extended slightly. Thus, it was converted into something like a very wide reclining chair with a footrest. She also covered the surface with several layers of absorbable pads, to keep the various bodily substances resulting from the delivery process from contaminating the bedclothes. A smart move; Eska had not thought to do this, and as a result her favorite sheets had been ruined.

Opal settled herself on the bed/chair, which was wide enough for Eska and Bolin to sit on either side of her and each hold one of her hands. Suyin situated herself in a chair at the bedside.

An hour passed, and Opal's face was becoming quite red from the effort. Eska herself had pushed for exactly twenty-eight minutes; she knew this because staring at the clock had given her something to focus on. She wondered if an hour was unusually long, or if twenty-eight minutes was unusually short. Regardless, it was only a few minutes more until An announced that the head was crowning.

"OWWW!" Opal screamed. She was squeezing Eska's hand with all her strength.

"Don't push!" An urged. "Breathe through it, like you're so good at doing. Think about finally holding your baby."

"This is the worst part," Eska informed her wife. Unlike Bolin, who had his hand over his eyes and was cautiously peeping through the gaps between his fingers, her gaze was unflinching.

"She's right," Suyin said. "But it'll all be over soon."

"Except for the heavy bleeding for a week," Eska added. "And the inability to move your bowels. And the…"

"Eska. That's enough," Suyin interrupted.

Eska grumbled, "No one told _me_ of such things," but decided not to press the issue. She was too fascinated by this process to argue. Enduring it herself had been one thing; seeing it happen to someone else was an entirely different experience. At any rate, both had the same result: a healthy baby.

"All right, shoulders are out. Just one more push and…here we are! It's a boy!" An exclaimed as she held the large, blood and vernix-smeared infant aloft. "My word, does he ever have powerful lungs!"

Eska noted with some satisfaction that she had been correct in determining the sex. She slipped her hand out of Opal's, and shook it to dispel the soreness. Within seconds, the bed had been readjusted so that it only had a slight incline, and the baby was passed to an exhausted yet beaming Opal.

"Hello, San!" she said; her voice, hoarse from her own yelling, was barely audible over San's vociferous protests. Then she turned to Bolin and added, "I'm sorry I said that stuff to you."

"It's okay," he replied. His eyes were glistening with as of yet unshed tears. "I think that if I were you, I would've wanted to kill me too." He covered Opal's face with kisses and stroked his son's hand. The impending tears fell once the baby closed his own fingers around Bolin's. He wiped them away with his free hand and croaked out, "He's beautiful."

"You did wonderful, sweetie," Suyin. "We're all so, so proud of you! Look at those chubby cheeks! I told you he was going to be big." She took a camera out of her bag and started snapping pictures, being careful to only do close-up shots since Opal was wearing her bindings and nothing else.

Seeing all these people happy together made the feeling of being an interloper return. Eska's strength crumbled as an image of her mother screaming at her flashed through her head. She hurriedly stepped out of the room to attempt to recollect herself, and walked a short distance down the hall.

No one immediately came after her; she wondered if they'd even realized that she was gone. So she just stood there, taking deep breaths to attempt to dispel the intrusive thoughts. After a few minutes, she heard a shocked cry from Bolin…Eska guessed it was a reaction to the afterbirth. A minute or two later, Opal emitted a much quieter yelp. Then, there was no sound louder than the indistinguishable murmuring of voices. She sank down onto the floor and looked down at her knees. Finally, she heard the door crack open, and looked up to see Bolin peeping out at her.

"Hey," he said softly, "What's up?"

"I thought that you were not aware of my absence," Eska replied as she arose.

"We were. Opal said that you might be getting overloaded from all the people talking, and told me to give you some alone time. We want you to be happy, too." He shut the door behind him and walked over to her.

"Please do not misinterpret my actions. I _am_ happy. It is simply that…on the occasion of my own parturition, my mother was decidedly not."

"What's par…oh. You mean when you had Ki?"

"Yes."

"That stinks. Can I hug you?"

"As long as your arms are not paralyzed, you can. If you are asking permission, you _may_." She knew this was pedantic, but Bolin didn't seem to mind. He enfolded her in his arms, and Eska buried her face into his shirt. It was one of the rare times when she welcomed such an embrace.

"I wish so much that I could've been there," he said. "But when you have another baby, we're going to totally spoil you."

"You seem extremely convinced that I _will_ have subsequent children," Eska pointed out.

"Well…I mean…if you want to. So what do you think? You feel ready to come back with us yet?"

"Yes."

They walked back to the room hand in hand.

\---------------------------------------------------------------------------

A cozy scene greeted them on their return. Opal had changed into the extra-comfortable nightgown and bathrobe purchased solely for the occasion. She was propped up on several pillows, and a blanket had been placed around her shoulders to ward off postpartum chills. San, who had been cleaned and swaddled, had already latched on to a breast, and was sucking away contentedly. Suyin and An left the room shortly after this, saying that they were going to get something for Opal to eat.

Opal looked up at Eska and smiled at her. Eska bent down, planted a kiss on her forehead, and asked, "Are events proceeding according to your liking?"

"Yeah, things are going great," Opal told her. "Except…I had some tearing and An had to give me a couple stitches. But I got over it."

"I was planning to warn you about that," Eska said. "Unfortunately, I was interrupted."

"That's okay. It really wasn't as bad as I thought it was going to be."

Bolin abruptly chimed in with, "You know what? Now that everything's settled down, I think I'm going to go call Mako and tell him the news."

"It's three in the morning. He's probably asleep," Opal reminded him.

"Don't care! Calling him anyway!" Bolin sang out as he bounded out into the hallway.

By now, San had finished feeding. Opal tucked her breast away and asked, "You want to hold him?" Eska nodded, and the little bundle was transferred to her. She was surprised at how heavy this baby was, especially compared to how Kinalik had been.

"His bodily mass is substantial," she commented. "Did they weigh him yet?"

"Yep. Nine pounds and two ounces." Not quite as big as Prince Kazuo, then.

San looked up at Eska with the unfocused gaze of a newborn. He had kind of a generic baby face, so it was impossible to determine which parent he resembled most. However, his eyes did have a yellowish tint to them like his mother's. Unlike the mop of hair with which Kinalik had been born, he only had a dusting of fuzz on the top of his head.

"An acceptable specimen," Eska declared after several minutes of careful study.

"It helped, how calm you were that whole time," Opal said quietly. "I wasn't sure whether you knew that. It must have taken a lot of effort, so I'm not surprised you had to leave for a bit. Thank you."

"You are welcome."

Bolin re-entered the room as suddenly as he'd left, causing San to fuss. Eska started rocking the baby in her arms and clicking her tongue to soothe him, while both women shot Bolin irritated looks.

"Whoops," he whispered. "Anyway, Mako says congratulations. Su and An are right behind me with food."

Sure enough, the two older women entered the room within seconds. An went over to check Opal's vital signs, and Suyin piled several takeout containers on the radio table. She approached Opal with another steaming bowl once An gave the all-clear; her daughter eyed it skeptically.

"It's not congee this time, I promise!" Suyin told her. "It's soup, made here specifically for eating after giving birth. See, it has tofu, chicken, fish balls, and even a poached egg on top. We need to make sure that you get plenty of protein."

They all ate, taking turns holding San so that everyone would get their fair share of both baby time and food. Then they spent the next several hours dozing off and on. In the morning, Opal and San were examined again and given a clean bill of health, which meant that they were discharged home about twenty-four hours after they had arrived.

Kinalik had been productive while they had been gone; the walls of the foyer and living room were liberally decorated with her artwork. Once Eska's daughter had been informed that her new half-brother had entered the house, she came running into the living room at full-speed to see.

"This is San. Ssh! We have to be quiet around him," Bolin cautioned. He omitted his own difficulty in adhering to this rule.

"Like in the library?" Kinalik asked.

"Exactly," Eska confirmed.

They got her settled in a chair and allowed her to hold San, urging her all the while to be gentle. Suyin took more pictures. Kinalik appeared overall satisfied, although she opined that San looked like a "red frog." Well, she wasn't wrong.

Then, as the male members of the family took turns holding the baby and posing for photos, Kinalik sat on the sofa next to Opal and patted the airbender's still somewhat swollen stomach.

"Can I see?" she inquired.

" _May_ ," Eska corrected.

"May I?"

"You may," Opal said. She lifted up her tunic, which was a special shorter version made for ease of breastfeeding.

"Wow. It's all wrinkly," Kinalik said. For some reason, she seemed particularly concerned about Opal's belly button, running her finger around it while frowning. With their sleep-deprived brains, none of them could figure out why she was doing this until Suyin saw and said, "San didn't come out from there, Ki."

"But Taro from school said so!" Kinalik protested.

Suyin quirked an eyebrow and answered, "I think that Taro from school was pulling your leg. Now come on. I think we need to have a little talk in private. After that, we can taste-test some of Chef's new dumpling recipes that he's trying out for the Winter Solstice party."

Kinalik took Suyin's hand and skipped off; Eska hoped that her mother-in-law would have the sense to not get too graphic in the details. As she turned her attention back to Opal, she saw the airbender staring wistfully at the front door, as if she had been expecting someone who had never shown up.

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Suyin's annual Winter Solstice parties turned out to be the event of the year in Zaofu; virtually everybody in the city was invited. The turnout was even higher than usual this year because of the lure of getting a glimpse of the now four-day-old San. And with such a large crowd, there naturally had to be sufficient food for everyone. Great platters of dumplings stood on every available table; Eska believed that Suyin had said that there were eight different fillings. Of course, there were also huge bowls of tangyuan: savory and sweet, filled and unfilled, boiled and fried. Smaller bowls of mixed nuts stood wherever there was room for them. Kinalik, dressed in her winter best and also popular with the crowd, had to be reminded that one is not allowed to put disliked food back on the platter if one has already taken a bite out of it.

Opal held the guest of honor tightly against her body, as if afraid that one of his admirers might take it in their mind to abduct him. She had to endure another round of repetitive questions, some of which were extremely personal. After watching Opal's smile get more and more forced, Eska decided to take action.

"Did you deliver naturally?" one elderly woman asked

"No. It was very unnatural," Eska responded. "There were dark spirits everywhere."

Bolin snorted. The old lady could only manage a faint, "I see…" before backing away quickly.

A couple of minutes later, another woman asked, "Is he sleeping through the night yet?"

"He is. In fact, he never wakes up. Ever," Eska said, despite San's eyes clearly being open.

This time, it was Opal's turn to snort. Bolin hid his mouth behind his arm in an attempt to suppress his mirth.

A few minutes after that, a man inquired, "Shouldn't he be wearing a blanket?"

Eska sighed dramatically. "Every time we put a blanket on him, he devours it. We have already lost ten perfectly good blankets in this manner. He is too powerful."

Bolin couldn't take it anymore. He dashed out of the room into the hallway, and his howls of laughter were audible. After this, most people stopped asking them questions. San was getting grumpy anyway, so Opal left to feed him and get some rest herself, while Eska sought out Desna. They had not yet had the occasion to fully discuss Eska's experience with San's birth.

By the time they ventured back into the living room, it was well past dark, the guests had somehow been persuaded to leave, Kinalik had retired to her room, and the family was sitting around nibbling on leftovers.

"I honestly don't know whether to thank you or banish you from this city forever," Suyin told Eska.

"Give her an award for services to the community," Huan suggested. "Now if Desna and I ever adopt, we'll know exactly what to say."

Bolin was still highly amused by Eska's previous antics. He muttered, "He's too powerful..." and laughed quietly to himself.

Someone knocked loudly on the front door, and Eska barely managed to keep from biting her own tongue.

"Now who could that…be…" Suyin said; she appeared to have realized the answer to her question mid-sentence. She ran over to the door and flung it open.

"It's about _time_ that one of you gave me a great-grandchild," their visitor grumbled as she stepped inside the room. Opal's face lit up.

"Grandma! You're here!" she exclaimed. "I didn't think you were coming!"

"Yes, well, I haven't figured out instantaneous travel yet," the old woman said. "Especially not in this weather. It's murder on my joints. Now I remember why I left Zaofu in the first place!"

So this was the famous Toph Beifong. Eska rose from her seat to get a better look. Toph was shorter than Eska had imagined.

After Toph had exchanged greetings–such as they were–with the rest of the family, she turned to Opal.

"Well? Aren't you going to let me hold him?" she demanded. "I can't see him properly when he's in your arms like that."

 _See_? Oh, right, she must be referring to her seismic sense.

Opal handed San over. Despite Toph's gruff manner, she held the baby tenderly as she stroked his face with a bony finger.

"Not bad," she proclaimed. "At least that blockhead man of yours is good for something. And you…"–she turned to approximately face Eska–"You must be the third."

"I am their _wife_ ," Eska informed her.

"Yes. Of course. Kids these days. You certainly took long enough to get on with it; it made for some frustrating vine-watching. I suppose it's to be expected. Attraction to Water Tribespeople is a family trait."

"Hm?" Opal asked.

"Nothing. Just thinking aloud." And then, to Eska again, "Your cousin, on the other hand, was a pain in my butt."

Eska drew herself to her full height, which, although not especially impressive, was still taller than Toph. "I am nothing like my cousin. I am Eska, princess and former co-chieftain of the Northern Water Tribe, and I am not scared of you."

There was a pause. Then Toph laughed.

"I like her," she said. As she gave San back to Opal, she added, "Mellow baby, him. I remember the first time I held you, Opal. No sooner did your mom put you into my arms than you soiled your diaper and screamed about it. Still, that's better than Huan. He threw up all over me."

This entire time, the other family members had been sitting there like statues. But Suyin finally sprang into action.

"We're delighted to have you, Mom! How long will you be staying?"

"Just for the night. I don't want to importune."

"Well…all right then!" Clearly, this discussion had been held often enough that Suyin knew it was futile to attempt to change her mother's mind. "Do you want something to eat? We have dumplings; there's chicken with ginger, woolly pig with cumin, shrimp with green onion…"

"I'll have the shrimp," Toph interjected. "Meat gives me indigestion."

They passed a surprisingly pleasant evening. Opal nodded off on Eska's shoulder, and soon Eska began to feel her own eyelids getting heavy. Her state of affairs at the moment was quite tolerable.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So just FYI, I was in the process of writing this chapter when I saw that another author on here named a Bopal kid San. I had that idea before I was aware of this (maybe even before the other story was written!) so rest assured that I wasn’t copying! It is kind of an obvious choice, isn’t it? LOL


	22. Epilogue Part 3

For several months now, Kinalik had been repeatedly asking to go on a picnic "like in Zaofu," so they decided to grant her wish for her fifth birthday. There had been some ominous-looking clouds this morning, but those had mostly cleared up by lunchtime, and the weather was very nearly as good as it had been for the Zaofu excursion. Their chosen site was a park with a view of Yue Bay in the distance.

The birthday girl was full of energy and good cheer. She leapt out of the Satomobile and ran around in circles in the parking lot as the adults unloaded the picnic basket and put San in his stroller. This morning, she had opened her presents, and had been overjoyed to receive a dress with flowers on it, just as she had requested. She had insisted on wearing it to the picnic, and had promised to try her utmost not to get it dirty.

After they located a promising spot on the park's picnic grounds, Bolin set their large basket down on the grass, retrieved an old blanket from inside it, and shook the blanket out with more flourish than was absolutely necessary. As it drifted leisurely to the ground, Kinalik giggled and hurried to sit in its shadow, so that it would fall on her.

"Whoops, there's a lump!" Bolin remarked. "How could it have ever gotten there?"

"I do not know," Eska replied. More laughter came from under the blanket, and then Kinalik crawled out from it and pointed a finger at Bolin.

"BOO! I lightningbent you!" she shouted. Bolin gave an exaggerated gasp, staggered back a couple of steps, and lolled his tongue out of his mouth to indicate that he was "dead." This made Kinalik laugh even harder. However, he resurrected himself in short order, and the pair started chasing each other. Pabu jumped off of his usual perch on Bolin's shoulder and attempted to participate as well.

Eska thought, as she often did, that her daughter was making incredible strides. Kinalik had recently begun her first year of "real school," and there was talk of her skipping a grade next year. Speech-wise, she had caught up with her peers, and was exceeding most of them in reading skills. Although it was too early in the school year for her to have made any new friends yet, she maintained a solid relationship with Rohan. Korra and Asami were already joking about starting to make plans for Kinalik and Rohan's wedding in twenty years or so.

"Okay, okay, time out!" Bolin finally said. "My knee can't take much more of this. Plus, I think we're all getting hungry."

As Bolin and Opal straightened the blanket and began to unpack the food, Eska noticed that San was beginning to squirm and fuss in his stroller, so she undid the straps. After a quick diaper check, she decided that he'd simply wanted some exercise, and allowed him to crawl around nearby. He babbled to himself happily as he explored. At almost nine months old, he had filled out nicely, and was right in the middle of what Eska considered to be the cutest stage of infancy. Toph's initial assessment of him had been correct; unlike his sister, San had proven to be an easy baby. That did not mean he was a _perfect_ baby; he could sometimes be shy around people he didn't know well, and like any baby had his cranky days. Overall, though, he was affectionate towards family members and devoted to Kinalik in particular. His sister's feelings about this could be mixed. Although she often welcomed his attentions, sometimes his desire to be close to her could cause problems.

Just a couple of weeks ago, there had been a large commotion when San crawled into Kinalik's carefully-organized arrangement of toys and set them into disarray. Bolin and Eska were out of the house at the time, but Opal had heard Kinalik's shouting and come running, only to find her looming over her baby brother, arm raised as though to strike him. When Eska heard about this later, it was clear to her that Kinalik had merely been acting out the impulse in her head, but Opal had not seen things this way and had scolded Kinalik harshly. This had led to Opal and Eska's first major argument; Bolin had refused to take sides. It was only after Kinalik had convinced herself that her birthday would get taken away and worked herself up into a panic attack that Opal had softened her stance somewhat. Regardless, she and Eska had acted coolly toward each other for a few days thereafter.

Eska shook her head as she reached for some cold sesame noodles, still watching San out of the corner of her eye. One big blowup in over a year of marriage was not so bad. She should not still be dwelling on this, especially not on this rare occasion that their family was able to spend the entire day together. They all had busy schedules. Eska liked her volunteer job so much that she'd started taking courses in library science with the goal of one day landing a paying job as a librarian. The schools had initially been skeptical about admitting her since her formal education had been limited, but she'd passed the equivalency tests with flying colors.

Bolin had gotten rave reviews in his new job as a commentator. Although he'd started working at the end of one season and was in Zaofu for a good portion of the next, early ticket sales for the upcoming season were up by double digits from last year, and were projected to climb even further. During the off-season, he had kept himself occupied with his classes, and had even advanced to the intermediate level. He was also learning compensatory strategies and study skills from his speech therapist. After several misunderstandings, Opal and Eska were careful to leave clearly-written reminder notes about any task they wanted him to accomplish, with all instructions broken down into small steps.

Opal had stayed at home with the children for the first couple of months, but once San no longer required round-the-clock breastfeeding, she'd started going back to Air Temple Island to work toward getting her master tattoos. She also found a way to make a little income of her own. The island had had a minor crisis once Tenzin had realized that many of the new airbenders were young, horny, and steadfast in their resolve to find ways around the dorm segregation. New dorms had had to be built for family housing, but, more to the point, the first children of these liaisons were turning three and four. As many of the children were airbenders too, they needed someone to teach them the basics. Opal had turned out to be the perfect fit for this job.

It had taken some thought, but in the end, they had managed to schedule their work and classes so that at least one of them would be home with the children at all times. (On the occasions that all three of them had to go to an event, Jinora and Kai were always happy to earn some extra cash by babysitting.) Their sex lives had proven more difficult. Despite their honeymoon antics, it was uncommon that all of them would be up for a threesome on any given day. Even the act itself was challenging initially, since Opal had had to recuperate from the injuries sustained during childbirth. It had taken her two months to regain her libido, and two more months until she could engage in penetrative activities without pain. Once she had recovered, they had attempted sticking to a schedule so that all three couples would get equal time together, but almost immediately saw that this was not going to be feasible. All they could really do was to attempt to keep rough track of who was doing what with whom, so that no one person would get terribly left out. This required continued work on their communication skills.

There were other accommodations to make too. As part of her new commitment to airbending, Opal had converted to full-time vegetarianism. She admitted that she had been lax in doing so, even with the period of grace that Tenzin had been forced to grant to the new airbenders who were not accustomed to the lack of meat. Out of respect, all of the other members of the family adhered to the diet when Opal was at home. Eska had been proud of herself the day that, after several unsuccessful attempts, she had finally managed to make a tofu stir fry without burning anything or cutting herself. What was more, everyone had eaten it, although Kinalik had needed some encouragement. Opal was not unreasonable, though. As a compromise for the meat-eaters in her life, once or twice a week she would take San and stay at Air Temple Island overnight. Then, Bolin, Eska, and Kinalik were free to go to a restaurant to satisfy their carnivorous urges. As for San, Opal had said that she'd allow him to make his own decision about the matter when he was older.

Speaking of San, he had yanked out a fistful of grass and was bringing it towards his mouth. Before any of the adults could react, Kinalik shouted, "No, San, don't eat that! It's _poison_!" Startled by the sudden loud noise, the baby began to cry, but Opal was able to distract him by carrying him back to the blanket and spoon-feeding him from the jar of pureed vegetables that she had prepared for his lunch herself.

"Perhaps this is a sign that he will embrace the vegetarian lifestyle after all," Eska remarked as she bade her daughter to sit next to her and eat. Kinalik had obviously been sincerely concerned for San's welfare, so she was not scolded; perhaps thinking about the episode a couple of weeks ago, Opal only gave her a gentle reminder to always use her inside voice with the baby, even when they were outside.

Everyone ate their fill; there was enough variety that the absence of meat was hardly noticeable at all. Then it was time for the cake, which was filled with Kinalik's newly-discovered favorite fruit: mango.

After lunch, San drifted off to sleep. Opal lay him on the blanket between herself and Eska as they watched Bolin and Kinalik play catch with an inflatable ball, which was another one of Kinalik's presents. When the father-daughter pair got tired of that, the two of them and Pabu went off in search of wildflowers and other treasures. 

"I cannot believe that she's already five," Eska told Opal. At three and a half, Eska's daughter had been approximately hip-height; now she was almost as tall as Eska's chest.

Opal sighed. "I know the feeling. At first it seemed like San was going to wake us up at night forever, but now it'll only be a few months before he's walking and talking. I saw him trying to pull himself up on a chair yesterday; he'll probably figure that out sooner rather than later. And then it won't be too much longer until we start planning the next one."

From the beginning, Opal had been certain that she wanted more children. (A bemused Eska had pointed out how difficult San's birth had been, to which Opal promptly replied, "It was worth it. And besides, the first one is always the hardest.") Eska herself remained undecided about whether or not she wanted to conceive again, although she had to admit that seeing how much Opal enjoyed motherhood set off a primal longing within her.

"Of course, we don't have to think about it right now," Opal said as if sensing Eska's train of thought. "It's been a good day today. We should enjoy the moment."

They exchanged a kiss, and Eska moved San onto her lap so that she could sit closer to her wife. They watched the little sailboats in the bay. Eska felt a kinship with the handlers of these watercraft; except that her metaphorical boat had left the shelter of the bay and ventured into the uncharted territory that Desna had mentioned.

Yes, there would certainly be periods of rough seas ahead of them. But, as Bolin and Kinalik returned to gleefully show off their haul, she would not be weathering the storms alone.

THE END (AGAIN)


	23. Notes

**GENERAL INFORMATION**

I decided to include this section as a bonus, since I'm always fascinated by any tidbits I can get about the thought processes that various writers have. If any of you aren't as interested by this stuff, I won't mind if you skip it. I just hope I don't come across as too pretentious! For more behind-the-scenes stuff, check out my Tumblr, where I did a lot of flailing around about various chapters. There's even the original post where I first discussed this idea, although at the time I thought there was no way I'd ever be able to write it.

Some acknowledgements: Thank you to all the reviews, faves, alerts, kudos, comments, and bookmarks! (I'm especially grateful to my commenters on here for providing regular feedback, but don't tell the ff.net people I said that!) Thank you as well to thesaurus.com for for helping me with what I call "Eska-ese." Also, special thanks to Youtube let's-player Chuggaaconroy for inspiring some aspects of Bolin's character. (Although Chuggaaconroy is quite a bit smarter! LOL) Musical inspirations included the Spice Girls, Game of Thrones, various Nintendo franchises, and many more. The songs I listened to are too numerous to list all of them, but I'll make note of some which are particularly associated with certain chapters.

And now, here are some birthdays! Or at least birth months. I always hate it when I'm reading a book and I can't figure out exactly how old everyone is…or when the authors mess up the math.

Suyin: March 126

Baatar Junior: November 149

Huan: October 151

Opal: May 5th, 153

Bolin: October 2nd, 153

Eska and Desna: August 20th, 154

Wei and Wing: February 156

Kinalik: September 14th, 171

San: December 17th (my dad's birthday!), 175

**THE TITLE**

It was actually tricky for me to come up with a title. In the end, I decided to make it a partial reference to two season-ending scenes from GoT which involve characters on boats staring at the open ocean before them.

(ETA: Well, this was obviously written before Season 8. TBH, I was wondering if this would come back to bite me. However, Ramin Djawadi's music remains beyond reproach, and that's what's really the relevant thing for this story.)

**CHAPTER 1**

I admit that some of these early chapters were shaky in places, since at that point I still wasn't sure whether I'd be able to finish the story. I felt extra pressure because there was this one Boleska fic on AO3 that was shaping up to be epic…and then the writer ended it on a cliffhanger. I hope that that person's okay and just got sick of writing it!

" _My job here is done…But you didn't do anything_." This is referencing a meme that started in the Sailor Moon fandom but quickly spread elsewhere.

Originally, Opal was going to show up with Bolin and there would be Conflict, but it wasn't working. Notice how Bolin mentioned how he and Opal were talking about something related to kids, and then interrupted himself? I took a page out of the J.K. Rowling school of foreshadowing there. As much as she's become Madame Problematique over the past few years, one must admit that this is something that she does very well.

As a person with autism writing about characters with autism, I wanted to highlight something that's not talked about too much: how frustrating miscommunication can be. Korra and Eska's argument at the end was about that, but also I tried to indicate that it wasn't just one of them who was Wrong and one who was Right; both had valid points.

**CHAPTER 2**

My number-one rule for writing this story was, "Focus on building up Opaleska." While the pairings with Bolin had already had some establishment in canon, this one needed to be created from scratch. And my hope was that I was able to create some believable sexual tension so that them getting together wouldn't seem completely random. In the show Big Love, one recurring theme was "We're all married to each other." But this was more telling than showing a lot of the time, and it drove me up the wall! I was intent on not making the same mistake.

Bolin not remembering which toys he had as a kid was the first of several pieces of Tricksy Foreshadowing that led up to the big reveal of Chapter 10.

I played a similar game with a paper hat with my grandpa when I was three, except that ours was a proper cone made of newspaper and taped together.

Tahno was a last-minute addition. I randomly had this thought about him making a cameo, so I decided to go for it. Plus, it gave Eska the opportunity to deliver that sick burn. And he got his bending back because the video game said so.

Bubble tea does exist in the ATLAverse. I looked it up, and sure enough Iroh invented it in one of the comics, albeit under a different name.

" _The door abruptly swung open as if accompanied by a musical cue…_ " Maybe a little obscurely-worded, but meant to reference the "SomeBODY once told me" meme from Shrek.

**CHAPTER 3**

I posted a picture on Tumblr of my cat Zelda staring at me judgmentally while I was writing the embarrassing sex talk in the opening scene. Said cat was also an inspiration for how I wrote Pabu.

Other than that, pretty much just harmless filler, although we get introduced to Bolin's frustrating job hunt. I actually posted this chapter before I read Turf Wars, and I freaked out a bit at first when I saw that they'd made Bolin a policeman. But then as I read a bit further, I thought, "You know, maybe I can work with this after all." So I edited this chapter to include a reference to the police job not being a good fit.

**CHAPTER 4**

The Republic City style of dancing was based on the Charleston, and the Northern Water Tribe style was inspired by the minuet.

" _Thank you. I despise it._ " Eska-ese for "Thanks I hate it."

Bolin really does wear the same suit all the time. I checked. Although he must have gotten a new jacket since he ripped the sleeves out of the first one.

Musical Inspiration: Marine Science Museum theme (Pokemon Omega Ruby/Alpha Sapphire).

**CHAPTER 5**

Writing this chapter was a little nerve-wracking; I wanted to be sure that it made sense, and that there was no other viable option for Eska and Desna. In my first version of this story, there was an actual coup, and Eska and Desna sailed back later and reclaimed their thrones. But I quickly realized that this would entail action scenes, so I trashed it. Then they were going to abdicate at the end of the story, but I didn't really want them to be in hiding for the whole thing. So I finally decided to place it here.

I have to admit that I kind of didn't know what to do about Eska's back injury after I introduced it, other than a couple of references a few chapters on.

We get the beginning of Desna's subplot here too. I had originally intended for Desna to have been MtF transgender, but I was worried that I might mess it up. Plus, an actual transgender writer on AO3 did that same subplot much better than I ever could. So I decided to make Desna NB instead, and also do the plot about them wanting to have an identity separate from Eska's.

Kirima was the fan name for Eska for a long stretch where, for reasons unfathomable to me, the writers had revealed Desna's name but not Eska's.

**CHAPTER 6**

This chapter was going to be from Bolin's PoV, but it just seemed to work better with Mako.

Certain members of Bolin and Mako's family may or may not have been inspired by members of my own family. That's all I have to say about that. 

I also had a black booster seat with small white dots on it when I was young, and I recall wondering if there were a thousand dots. And yes, the guidelines now say that kids shouldn't ride in the front seat at all until they're like twelve, but I rode in the front without problems. I was already fudging the whole 1920s thing a bit by giving her a booster seat at all. 

" _Melancholy_ :" A reference to the fact that there was an English translation of a character blurb about Mako from a Danish website which contained the line, "I am sex and melancholy." This was widely believed to be hilarious, and I think Project Voicebend even threw in a brief reference to it. 

" _Vernacular_ :" Chuggaaconroy made this same mistake on an episode of The Runaway Guys. I believe it was the first board of Mario Party 7, but I don't know exactly which episode. 

" _Well, excuuuuse me, Princess!_ ": I think everyone knows this Legend of Zelda meme. 

There was a period of several months in 2014 where I thought Grandma Yin WAS Jin due to some faulty information. I was bummed out when I realized that this wasn't the case. But they look similar, would have been born around the same time, and have almost the same name, so I decided to make them twins.

It turns out that the number of children Grandma Yin had, the number of male and female children, and Mako and Bolin's dad being the youngest was exactly the same as the family of one of my commenters on AO3, completely by coincidence. I'm just making a note of it here because it blew my mind. 

**CHAPTER 7**

I think this was where I actually started to think that I might be able to finish the story now that the first act was behind me, and I think my writing improved from here on out as a result. This was another chapter where I was very concerned that their reason for taking Kinalik to Zaofu made sense. 

Writing Suyin was interesting. It was almost like I was writing two people: the one Opal saw and the one Eska saw. I gave Zaofu a dual nature as well; Eska saw it as creepy and stifling, and Desna found it warm and accepting. And again, neither of them were necessarily wrong. 

Kinalik finally gets to show her bratty side here. Doing her PoV was fun, although I limited it to only two short sections in the whole story because I didn't want it to get annoying. 

**CHAPTER 8**

Ugh. So for this chapter, I had to rewrite everything from Desna flipping through the sketchbook onward because somehow the computer ate it. I thought I'd saved it, but apparently I hadn't. This was an unpleasant surprise, but in the end I think the second version was actually better. 

Originally, Eska was going to be the one paired with Huan, and Desna would be Forever Alone. But I thought, "You know what, I keep saying that there should be more polyamorous ships, so I'm going to put my money where my mouth is!" Plus, I wanted to step out of my comfort zone by writing M/M and F/F. 

I was hoping that Eska and Suyin might grow to like each other, but it didn't work out that way, so they still have this conflict that's not completely resolved at the end of the story. 

I made a vow that I would do a bunch of food descriptions in this story, because that's always my favorite part of pretty much any book. The duck dish was based on one that I ate on vacation last summer, although its sauce was heavily ketchup-based and the basis of many jokes that night. 

**CHAPTER 9**

I thought up this chapter before I knew for sure whether or not there was a waterfall near Zaofu. Thankfully, there was, although it was way in the background of the image, which made it difficult to see what it looked like. After much research, I decided to base it off the real-life Havasu Falls in the Grand Canyon. 

The Boleska scene was not in the story originally, and in fact only occurred to me while I was writing the chapter. But I'm glad I put it in. 

" _…someone on the opposing team broke her leg and the bone was sticking through the skin…_ " Based on the injury sustained by Kevin Ware in the 2013 NCAA Tournament. I'd turned away from the TV for like two minutes, and when I got back, both the crowd and the announcers were so quiet that I thought someone had died! (If anyone's wondering, he recovered and is now playing pro basketball in Canada.) 

Another commenter on AO3 pointed out how Desna and Eska's family situation was much like Zuko and Azula's. I…actually hadn't thought of that! But it is interesting that they were in similar situations, but dealt with them very differently. 

" _I'm shy of him!_ " When I was that age, I told a male teacher at my preschool that I was "shy of" him. By this, I meant that I had a crush on him. 

" _That is unfortunate, companion._ " Eska-ese for "That's rough, buddy." I was so proud of myself for thinking up that one. 

About Baatar Junior…originally, his story was that Kinalik was going to bring him out of his shell. But the more I thought about it, the more that him having a thing for Eska made sense. I was surprised while writing it out how much chemistry they actually had. 

**CHAPTER 10**

The original title of this chapter was "Baatar Junior has Mhysa Issues." This is another GoT reference. However, I decided against it because 1. I was worried that trying to explain it would make me seem like a total literary snob, and 2. More importantly, it wasn't inclusive of Bolin's problems. 

I have already mentioned the emotional force behind Bolin's section of the chapter, but I also had a pragmatic reason, namely that there were aspects of his character that just never seemed to add up to me. There could be a lot of explanations for this, but I decided to go with a TBI. 

Does anyone else always have a bunch of difficulty writing kissing scenes? Maybe it's partly because I've never actually been kissed romantically before. 

Musical Inspirations: for Bolin: Tears After the Cloudy Weather (Pokemon anime). 

For Eska and Baatar Junior: Mhysa (GoT) and Pollyanna AKA Mother 2 (Super Smash Bros Melee). 

**CHAPTER 11**

I was originally going to write the scene of Eska being accosted by Varrick in Difficulties…but I forgot. 

For yuans, I decided to use the value of a modern Chinese yuan, which is about fifteen US cents. Dried cuttlefish is a popular movie snack in East Asia, particularly in South Korea. And I opted not to bother with any equivalent to the Hays Code. 

Opal and Eska got their anime-style prolonged staring scene with shojo bubbles in the background. LOL. Their little spat was a last-minute add-on, since I realized that they'd have to clash at some point. But there's only so much conflict I can stand, both in fiction and IRL! 

**CHAPTER 12**

I think it was around here that I had my first "Oshit I forgot about Pabu" moment, so I had to go back a few chapters and edit in brief reminders that he exists. 

Two things that I really liked about this chapter: the fake book titles and the food descriptions. 

Bolin's birthday song: Anyone who has regularly eaten at Golden Corral (an all-you-can-eat buffet chain that was awesome in the 90s and 00s but not so much now) is familiar with their obnoxious birthday song. So naturally, I thought it would be the sort of thing that Bolin would love. Although I'm not sure exactly what the lyrics of the real song are other than "Happy happy birthday," since they always sing it so fast. 

I decided to make Opal pregnant because it ain't a Dancingkirby fic without at least one pregnancy! 

Eska gets all the good one-liners in this story, doesn't she? It took me a while to actually write that one because I kept cracking myself up. If you look up some pictures of Victoria Beckham smiling (especially before she got all that surgery done), you'll have a pretty good idea of what Eska's smile looked like. 

**CHAPTER 13**

Bolin's reaction to the news, and subsequent mention of Man Points are directly inspired by Chuggaaconroy's famous "Groudon Freakout." Sometimes it seems like his voice sounds almost eerily like Bolin's. The video of it is easy to find on Youtube, but you'll have to turn the volume way down if you don't want to risk rupturing your eardrums.

I was thinking about having Baatar Junior just imply what had happened between him and Kuvira, but I decided that that pickup line of his in Chapter 10 was so out-there that it needed a full explanation. I thought I'd let the readers decide for themselves which of those three things actually happened. 

I very much share Huan's opinions about group therapy. It has never worked for me. 

Eska being the one to receive the note was meant to be a reference to my other fic The Hotel Hookup, where she was the one to _send_ the note. 

Musical Inspiration: Truth (GoT). Also where I got the idea for all the door-knocking. 

**CHAPTER 14**

Yes, I did some research for this. The resource that I found most helpful was an article by Cosmopolitan where they had three women share their experiences with threesomes. 

Musical Inspiration: 2 Become 1 (Spice Girls). Well, I did quote it in the end notes! 

**CHAPTER 15**

And I did research for this one too! I skimmed through many medical case studies trying to figure out the details of testosterone injections for people with anorchia. Unfortunately, all of the cases were adolescents, and nothing ever really said much about injections after puberty is finished. 

**CHAPTER 16**

Mako did call Eska "psycho" in canon. I think that this was a poor choice on the writers' part to begin with, and even more cringeworthy on my rewatch. Someone had to call him out on it. 

Okay. Bolin and Eska's talk. This is one of the first scenes I thought up for this story, and basically what everything was leading up to, even moreso than the sex. And I hope I did it justice. 

Musical Inspirations: Goodbye Brother (GoT; worth watching the live version), and I See the Light (Tangled; mostly Rapunzel's part.) 

**CHAPTER 17**

This chapter brought to you by "Oshit I forgot about Naga!" 

Exposition chapters have always been rough for me to write. But I liked the Korra, Asami, and Mako scene. 

The Si Wong desert cult was inspired by all the fundamentalist Mormon offshoots (FLDS, Kingston Clan, Colonia LeBaron, etc.) that are scattered around the Southwestern US and Mexico. 

Eska's outfit was inspired by the one worn by Victoria in one of the Spiceworld movie posters. You can see why it would cause a sensation in a society inspired by the 1920s, although I think Eska's version was _slightly_ more modest. 

**CHAPTER 18**

" _Children learn through play:_ " My mom heard this one over and over again from my teachers when I was little. 

I really enjoyed writing the fish head scene for some reason. The photographer Annchi is unabashedly based off of Annie Leibovitz. 

So Bolin and Opal got scenes alone together, as did Bolin and Eska. Naturally, this meant that Opal and Eska needed one too! 

Musical Inspiration: Headlines (Spice Girls) 

Never Let You Go (Jakaranda)…AKA the music from the photo shoot scene in the Parent Trap remake. 

**CHAPTER 19**

Kinalik's school and Michiko were more things that were loosely based off my own experiences. Although my brother was the one to say "maringes and oranges." 

Oh, so you think skimming over a neuropsych eval is difficult, Eska? Try having to read one in detail, with all its Text Blocks of Doom, and then typing the relevant information into the case summary! 

I had a horrible cold while writing Eska's return to the NWT. I hope it didn't show. And I hope I had a good balance of explaining Malina's actions towards Eska without excusing them. 

Bolin's job as commentator, plus his intro…yep, you guessed it, another Chuggaaconroy reference! (Technically, the actual intro is "Hey _everybody_ , it's Chuggaaconroy," but I thought that might make my shyness of him a bit too obvious!) However, this plotline was also influenced by another person: Jay Williams. He had an outstanding college basketball career and a promising rookie season in the NBA, but got into a motorcycle accident in the off-season which ended that career. Since then, he's become a successful sports analyst at ESPN. 

Musical Inspiration: Winds of Winter Medley (Game of Thrones: The Live Experience)

Roar (Katy Perry)

**EPILOGUE PART 1**

The opening scene was influenced by my own hatred of other people brushing or touching my hair…as well as my endless struggle with knots. I was originally going to have Kinalik be a flower girl, but it's a European tradition, and I saw no evidence of one at Varrick and Zhu Li's wedding. 

Finding any information about the details of polyamorous commitment ceremonies was difficult. What was more, most of them seem to be based on paganistic handfast ceremonies, which again would seem out-of-place in a fantasy world mostly based on Asia. 

About Prince Iroh and his bride being second cousins: Those sorts of matches were pretty common among royalty into living memory. And I already established in my series of short stories about Azula that there was quite a bit of inbreeding going on in the Fire Nation royal family. 

" _The next morning…Eska learned how to vomit in the ocean._ " I could not end this story without at least one Aubrey Plaza reference! I found this clip of her on a late-night show talking about how she got drunk and sang karaoke on a table at a wrap party in Hawaii…then learned to throw up in the ocean the next morning. 

Lagomorpha is the taxonomic order that includes rabbits and hares.

When my brother was five, he "wrote" a book called "Littlefoot and His Pneumatic Drill." I still consider this to be the best book title in the history of mankind. 

**EPILOGUE PART 2**

Suyin was all over the place in this chapter; from annoying yet well-meaning to genuinely helpful to "OMG you're seriously making your daughter show off her baby to the entire city just four days after a 22-hour labor?!" Although Opal showed her stubborn streak as well. 

For more about Prince Kazuo, see my fic "Short Stories About Azula." 

Never say that I can't write gritty realism! LOL 

Vernix: AKA vernix caseosa; the white stuff that babies are covered in at birth. 

The Winter Social Festival is based on the actual Chinese festival of Dongzhi. Tangyuan are little dumplings made of glutinous rice flour that are a bit like Japanese mochi. As shown in the story, they can be prepared a number of ways. Traditionally, northern Chinese people eat the dumplings while southern China prefers tangyuan, but I decided to have the people in Zaofu eat both! Nuts are also a traditional Chinese food to eat in midwinter, although I'm not sure how strong the actual association with Dongzhi is. 

Eska's trolling of the party guests was another thing that occurred to me while I was writing the chapter. 

So far, Toph has made two cameo appearances in my writing: both short, but both very amusing to write. 

**EPILOGUE PART 3**

A couple of months before my fifth birthday, I started saying that I wanted a "rose dress" for a present. I can't remember what brought this on now, and I'm not even sure that I knew then. Nevertheless, my parents delivered, and I loved that dress until it mysteriously vanished a bit over a year later. 

I had a mini-crisis halfway through writing the second epilogue chapter because "Oshit I forgot that Opal's supposed to be a vegetarian!" I decided that it was too late to fix it now, but I was sure to mention it in this chapter at least. 

Sorry if that extended metaphor at the end was a little painful to read… 

Musical Inspiration: Fine Fields Stage 1 (Kirby Triple Deluxe). There aren't many times where one piece of music inspired the whole chapter, but this is one of them. 

**FUTURE PLANS**

So that's that! I did find out that I was mistaken about the word count of the first Harry Potter book; it was in fact almost 77k words. But I exceeded that too, _and_ the word count for the 2nd book! 

It's going to be weird not having this big project to work on anymore. I am considering doing another series of Short Stories, but I'll have to take some time to think about it. 


End file.
